The Secret Lives of Pandas
by Phoenix-cry
Summary: Separated from the team Sam and Jack's survival skills, sanity, and relationship are put to the test. Heavy S/J Ship, with high angst, hurt/comfort, adventure, and a touch of humor. Emotional ride but, NO major character death, NO graphic sex.
1. Chapter 1

The Secret Lives of Pandas

Chapter One

It was raining, it rained here a lot. Jack hadn't decided if the rain was a good thing or not. Death would come a lot quicker if it wasn't for the rain. Again he didn't know if that was a good thing or not. He looked down at the delicate woman in his lap. He had never thought of her as 'delicate' before, if anything he felt she was tougher than he was.

Right now, however, she wasn't just delicate: she was fragile. Anytime Jack was forced to move he did so in slow motion to keep from breaking her any further. Along with the physical injures, she was also battling an infection that was ravaging her whole body.

_I should kill her, it would be so easy._

Jack had this thought more and more often as the days passed by. As Sam grew weaker he knew that he wouldn't even have to do something as violent as breaking her neck. He could just hold his hand tightly over her mouth for a few minutes and it would be over...for her at least. Jack reasoned that at this point she wouldn't even notice the suffocation, any struggle would be purely from her nervous system automatically reacting.

However, whenever he got the courage and brushed the corners of her lips she always looked up at him and tried to smile. Suddenly ending her life wasn't as easy as it seemed in his head. Failing once again at putting her out of his misery Jack softly traced his fingertips across Sam's stained cheek.

It took a few moments for Sam to surface. Fluttering her eyes open she looked around vacantly until she focused on Jack looking down at her. For a brief moment the strong woman he knew was back. Sam's eyes glittered with recognition and even if her lips didn't have the energy to move her aqua eyes still managed to smile.

Jack bit down on his tongue to keep himself from spilling tears. He had been forcing a positive outlook the entire time for both of their sakes. If he admitted in anyway that they were going to die far from home it would break them both. Despite the feverish heat that radiated from Sam's body, and the sweat that dripped from her skin she suddenly shivered.

"Thirsty?"

Sam nodded.

"Might I suggest the sparkling rain water? It one of the most popular items on our menu, collected fresh daily."

Sam chuckled silently giving Jack the strength to smile as well. Reaching through the near by bars Jack took a hold of the small metal dish that had been sitting out in the afternoon rain. They had a roof over their heads, but three sides of their small prison were exposed to the open air. The final wall was solid rock with a small, and very locked, metal door. Jack was leaning against the solid wall in the back corner where it met with the row of thick bars. Sam was laying with her head in his lap parallel to the wall to keep her as shielded from the elements as possible.

In order to drink anything Sam was going to have to sit up, and as it was she had already fallen back asleep. After a moment of indecision Jack drank half of the water he had collected himself. After making sure Sam was sleeping he picked up a small piece of glass that was laying on the stone floor next to him.

The glass wasn't large enough or sharp enough to do any real damage. However with effort he could slice open the skin on the underside of his forearm. Jack's arms were criss crossed with old and fresh cut marks. He decided to open an old one rather than add to the collection today. When the crimson flow started he tilted his arm down so that the blood ran off his little finger and into the half full bowl of water.

Jack's thin blood had trouble clotting allowing him to let it drip into the container for nearly half an hour. The result was a transparent red soup. When the bleeding did come to a slow stop Jack licked the remaining blood off his own hand. Giving Sam a gentle nudge he brought her back to their grim reality.

She struggled to sit up, relying heavily on Jack's assistance. He got her up enough to drink without drowning. With her eyes closed from exhaustion she didn't see the sickly hue of the drink being offered. Jack brought the bowl to her lips and tiled her head back. Sam swallowed convulsively and choked against the concoction. She hated the taste, she hated the reasons for the metallic sting even more.

"Please...stop..." Sam whimpered.

"Just drink it, the damage is already done." Jack replied sadly. "No sense in wasting it now."

Finishing the gory meal Sam gasped for breath. She ground her teeth together to keep from being sick. Jack settled her back down and tried to help her get back to sleep. However the blood always seemed to bring her around and she refused to slip back into unconsciousness. Jack moved her so that she was laying parallel to the bars and pulled her left arm out of her light weight SG-1 jacket.

It was still raining and Jack helped Sam thread her arm out of the bars so that the water would strike her salty skin. Reaching through the bars himself he gently massaged off the dirt and sweat in the cooling clean rain. Coming to her hand he rubbed little circles in her palms with his thumbs. Sam moaned quietly, enjoying the soothing contact and the clean feeling.

Repositioning Sam so that he could place her other arm out into the storm Jack repeated the treatment. He'd taken his own jacket off long ago, not needing it on the hot humid planet. He'd placed it out in the rain when the clouds had first gathered so that now it was as clean as it was going to be. Pulling the soaking cloth into the bars he used it to clean Sam's face and neck. It wasn't as good as a shower, but it made her feel worlds better.

"Thank you." Sam whispered.

"We'll get you into a hot bath and a warm bed soon."

Sam smiled and nodded even though she knew it wasn't true. Jack put the jacket back out into the rain. Making Sam as comfortable as possible Jack put his hand on her stomach so that she could reach up and hold on to it. He ran the index finger of his free hand down the bridge of her nose, barely making contact with the skin. It never failed to relax her. She settled in and sighed in what was almost contentment. For a brief moment they both able to forget the pain. Listening to the rain beating on the top of the enclosure Jack found an odd kind of peace.

There was no one here to torture them, no one who wanted any information or ransom. There were no smug Goa'uld System Lords gloating over their capture or ranting on about how pathetic they were. No one had mistaken them for gods or demons for that matter. They had been asked no questions, they had given no lies.

The real problem was the simple fact that there was no one here.

Jack stared out of the bars across to another suffering soul. The large canine like creature was pacing back and forth by his bars, his exposed ribs caused his sides to have a ridged appearance. The spine of the beast made his back to look like he had spikes beneath his greasy fur. Beside the dog was a horse with scales instead of fur that had already succumb and was rotting in the dirt. It had been secured to a post with a heavy chain that gave it about ten feet to move in any direction when it still lived. All of the grass around him had long since eaten away.

Jack didn't bother looking around at the rest, they were all in a similar state. The air used to be alive with the sounds of the others, but for the most part things were quiet now. Abandoned by their captors the stench of decay permeated the humid air.

Unable to escape the cages they were all slowly starving to death.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Night had fallen but Jack wasn't going to get any rest this night. The nights were nearly twice as long as the days here, or at least they felt that way. The dark hours now belonged to a creature that Jack had never seen, but was intimately familiar with. He could hear them now, snarling and fighting over the carcass of the horse creature that had died.

When the animal had been alive the beasts had respected its sharp claw like hooves and had stayed clear. Now that it was dead they were feasting. What angered Jack the most was the fact that the horse's blood wasn't the only that they'd tasted here.

Jack's tired mind wandered back to their first days in captivity. In the beginning their situation had been more irritating than anything else. Closing his eyes Jack relived the scene in a fitful state between sleep and delirium.

"This is getting old."

"Don't worry, Sir. I'm sure Teal'c and Daniel will be here soon with another SG team."

Jack turned away from where he'd been pacing back and forth at the bars. Sam was sitting cross legged with her back against the stone wall. She was looking out of the bars with interests as the creatures on the other side did the exact same thing to her. The spectators were basically humanoid in shape although their legs looked like they were standing up on elongated tip toes. They had a reptilian look to their faces, with slited pupils and no whites showing in their eyes, and smooth scales covering their skin.

They sort of reminded Jack of Unas, although these creatures were much more graceful and lithe. Their hands were delicate, unlike the chunky hands of the Unas. Sam was the first to notice that they had thumbs on both sides of their hands which she guessed gave them amazing dexterity. They wore clothing made of real cloth and not just animal hides, and as far as Jack and Sam could tell they had a very complicated language.

"I wish Daniel was here." Jack said sourly.

"I don't think this is any language he would know. Although he could probably learn it."

"No, Carter, I just wish he'd come here so that we could get out of this."

"They don't seem to mean us any harm."

"Putting us on display constitutes as 'harm' in my book, Carter. This place reeks."

"Most zoos do to some extent. The thing I don't understand is that I could have sworn the people who first caught us had thick fur coats. I haven't seen anything that looks like the original species we were dealing with."

"What do you suppose that means?"

"I don't know. I'm just fascinated by the fact that we seem to have found another truly non human intelligent race. We don't come across that very often."

"Yeah...thrilling."

Three weeks later Sam wasn't as interested in the scientific discovery of their captors. They had come to learn that they weren't exactly in a zoo as Sam had first guested. It was more of a side show and quality of care wasn't exactly humane. They had already seen several animals in near by cages driven to madness by the constant taunting of the guests who came during the later hours of the day. Others had simply laid down and allow themselves to die.

Another week went by and Jack finally stopped his pointless daily pacing. His temple held a nasty gash from where one of the natives had hit him with a rock that it had flung through the bars. During the early hours of the day the reptilian aliens that went by seemed to be decent enough, some even shook their heads sadly as they walked by. However, usually after the mid day rains finished falling the patrons changed.

They reminded Sam of certain teenagers she'd known in high school. They jeered and pestered any animal they could get a reaction from. As time went by these were the only aliens they'd see, no one seemed to come in the early hours any more. Perhaps their novelty had worn off. Jack leaned his shoulder against the bars and stared at the scaly horse as it stretched its neck as far as it could to get to the remaining grass.

"Carter, is it my imagination or is this place going down hill?"

"They have been feeding us less."

"It's more than just that, the whole place is falling into disrepair. Not that it was exactly high class to begin with. Where the hell is the SGC?"

"I don't think they know where we are." Sam admitted.

"Then they need to try looking a little harder."

"That's not what I meant, Sir. I...uh...I don't think we're on the same planet."

"What?"

"I've been watching the sky at night. There's only one moon."

"How many should their be?"

"Five."

"Maybe we just can't see the others, maybe they are dark."

"I thought of that, which is why I've been memorizing the stars to see if anything blocks them out on different nights."

"And?"

"Nothing. The chances that a planet is being circled by five moons and only one of them shows up in a month long period of time is...well let's just say it is much more likely that we have been taken to another world. We could be anywhere."

"Then we are just going to have to get out of here ourselves."

"I'm open to suggestions."

Jack paused at the hopelessness in Sam's voice. She had been trying so hard to make a connection with one of the aliens that worked here to try and convince them that they were intelligent and should be set free. However, it had been a few days since they'd seen that particular employee.

There was no chance at forceful escape because the door to their cage was never opened. Food and water was simply changed through the bars. Every once in a while they were also hit with some sort of pressure washer, but that was the extent of their husbandry. They had both lost enough weight to where they had to modify their belts to keep their clothing hanging on their hips.

Walking over and sitting next to Sam Jack reached out and put his arm around her shoulders. Sam leaned against him and sighed heavily. Jack rested his chin on top of her head as she nestled against his neck. Although she was doing everything to fight it he could feel her tears against his skin. Jack closed his eyes against his own brightened eyes before taking a deep breath and forcing a smile, even though she couldn't see it.

"It's going to be okay, Carter. We've gotten out of worse...right?"

"Right."

Sam had not been very convinced. Another week passed and they were no closer to freedom. Almost no one came to view them or the others anymore or even to throw things at them. They had been reduced to eating some sort of thick slurry every few days. The grass around their elevated stone slab enclosure was starting to grow out of control since no one bothered to cut it any more. Jack was starting to pray that the place would go out of business in hopes that they would just open the cages and 'return them to the wild' when it did.

It was late at night nearly a month and a half into the ordeal when things went from worse to disastrous. Sam was sleeping near the bars while Jack was using a shard of glass from a bottle that had been thrown at them to try and pick open the lock for the thousandth time. Sam suddenly screamed so loud that every animal in the place went into a panic.

Dropping the best glass lock pick he had Jack rushed over to her. It was a moonless night but he could make out some shadows. Sam was kicking violently at the bars with one foot. Jack fell to his knees at her side as she contorted her back and cried out in anguish again. He was afraid that she was simply loosing it.

"Cart..."

"Something has my leg!" Sam panted in pain.

Jack ran his hands down Sam's body to her pinned leg. His hands came in contact with a broad muzzle that was dripping with saliva. The creature could barely fit his face through the bars, however he had his teeth firmly sunk into Sam's calf and was trying to pull his prize through the bars. Jack tried to pry the animal's jaws open but quickly realized that wasn't going to work.

Reaching out of the bars Jack sought out the beasts eyes and pressed his thumbs into them. The animal squealed in pain and released his captive. The cry had brought the attention of others and soon Jack could see six sets of eyes, glowing green from some reflected light, outside the cage. Jack dragged Sam to the center of their prison to protect her from further attack.

"Carter?"

"It's broken."

"What?"

"The bone, I heard it snap. Plea..." Sam stopped and wailed in pain. "Please set it quickly."

Jack nodded and once again dragged his hands down her length to the injury. He kept contact with her so that she'd know exactly where he was and what he was doing. Jack dug his fingers into holes made in the fabric of her pant leg by the animal and ripped it all the way open from her knee down.

"The good news is: it's not broken."

"Bad news?"

"The snap you heard was a tooth breaking off, and it's embedded in the bone."

"Great. Yank it out...I'll make a necklace out of it."

"That's the spirit."

Making sure he had a tight hold on the large slender tooth Jack tried to pull it out. In the end he had to work it back and forth to remove it. Sam arched her back and cried out to the point where her voice cracked. Jack put the tooth down and tore a strip out of Sam's already tattered pant leg. He wrapped the bite mark carefully to stem the bleeding.

Sam started shivering uncontrollably and Jack feared she was going into some sort of shock. What he didn't realize at the time, but they both later guessed, was that the animal was slightly venomous. He brought his hand up to her face and discovered her skin was cold to the touch. Jack gathered her up in his arms and held her closely to try and warm her.

"Deep breaths, Carter."

Sam nodded against his chest and started forcing herself to breath through the wracking pains brought on by the attack. Jack lifted the collar of the back of her shirt and bowed his head so that he could breath warm air down her back. Sam pressed against him harder before finally relaxing completely. She didn't wake for three days.

Jack guessed that the attack had been about two weeks ago. When their captors had come by the next morning he had begged them to help her. They showed no interest in her wounds and three days later they were gone. The owners of the seedy side show didn't bother to open the cages or even slaughter their exhibits. They simply moved on and left their prisoners behind. Now the deep puncture wounds in Sam's leg burned with an infection that had spread into her blood.

Back in the present Jack listened to the ravenous scavengers tearing apart the rotting scaled horse. His stomach growled angrily in envy. Jack knew that there would be no chance at food tonight. The 'reverse rats' that normally visited them wouldn't be coming tonight, they wouldn't be brave enough with the large predators so near by. The small animals looked much like rats that had skin on their bodies, but furry tails. Like someone had taken a squirrel by the tail and dipped it in Nair.

Once the place had been shut down death had attracted the rats. The ugly pests came to gnaw on them at night while they slept. They were a nuisance and a blessing all at once. Whenever Jack was quick enough the creatures made a good meal. Although the more he succumb to starvation himself the harder it was getting to catch them. It had been several days since he'd had any success hunting.

Somewhere out in the dark one of the larger animals bellowed and crashed to the ground. Jack's heart jumped painfully. To him it was another soul that had given up on the hope of rescue. No matter what the animal's intelligence was he shared a common ground and pain with all of them. They had all been sentenced to a cruel punishment without ever committing a crime.

Jack leaned his head back on the stone wall. The continued sounds of the pack of scavengers tearing at flesh was driving him closer to madness. Sam was still sleeping fitfully, curled up on his lap. He pulled out her dog tag necklace and stared at the bright white tooth that now also hung from it. The fact that she had taken the time to make a necklace out of it made him smile for a moment. However that smile faded as she coughed, a wet, sickly sound. Sam's every breath was rasping, but she seemed to be actively refusing to give in to death. She couldn't continue like this forever though, or even for much longer.

The only comforting thought Jack had at the moment was that she wasn't going to have to be the one to die alone. He'd been so angry at himself in the Antarctic when it looked like he was going to have to leave her to face whatever fate had in store for her on her own. Although he had never given up hope for her then, after all the Stargate was right there, she'd find a way, she had just needed more time than he'd had to offer.

In the space between two painful breaths Jack finally lost what little hope he had left. Even if rescue came that instant he didn't think anything could be done for her. Sam was so close to death that he was certain it was only her willful personality keeping her alive. Closing his eyes Jack let tears trace down his face.

Sam suddenly reached out with a shaking hand and started searching the ground directly around her. He knew what she was looking for and slipped his hand into hers. Sam closed her hand around his fingers with a surprisingly strong grip, proving she had more life left in her than it seemed. Satisfied with her prize she brought Jack's hand to her chest so she could keep a hold of it.

"Carter?"

Sam squeezed his hand and nuzzled him slightly to let him know she was listening.

"Is it too late to tell you I love you?"

"Ne...never..."

"I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Easy, Carter, it's just water. I'm not going to torture you with blood any more."

Reassured Sam drank the clean water, wincing with each swallow from her raw sore throat. When she was done she laid back down and looked up at Jack. Her voice hurt too much to use so she just gazed at him.

The sun had risen on another day and despite everything Sam was alive and awake. Jack could see that her every breath took effort, sweat rolled off her skin, and her injured leg was trembling from the constant pain, but she didn't complain. She even smiled. Jack ran his fingers through her soaked hair, staring at her in pure admiration.

"You amaze me, you always have." Jack purred. "How can you be so strong?"

Sam's expression changed slightly.

"I can't possibly be helping you that much." Jack replied.

Sam nodded and squeezed his hand.

"Don't be afraid to leave me here. I don't want you holding on to any pain that you don't have to. I'll be fine on my own."

The corners of Sam's lips twitched in a smile and she shook her head.

"You're right. I'd be a wreck." Jack admitted with a sad smile. "Still, if you see any light, go for it."

Sam's eyebrows knit together.

"It's not that I want to give up, Carter." Jack sighed. "However when I try to answer 'what do I have, what do I need?', I need a way out of here and I don't have anything."

Jack found a sudden angry fire in Sam's blue eyes.

"Yes, I do have you." Jack corrected with a chuckle.

Sam managed a full smile. She was so beautiful, even on the brink of death her spirit showed through the adversity.

"Hey, if you get a chance at that whole Ascension thing, you should give it a try. I mean if Daniel thought I was good enough, they should accept you no problems."

Raising an eyebrow Sam looked up at Jack skeptically.

"If you do though you have to promise me that you'll go pester Daniel, he used to drive me nuts. I mean he's almost as infuriating in the flesh, but as an Ascended he didn't have to worry about me losing my temper and hitting him, so he could push a little harder."

Sam rolled her eyes.

"No, I won't be able to follow you to do it myself." Jack smiled. "For one thing I don't really want to join any club that would have me as a member."

Sam started to chuckle but the action set her into a violent fit. Her muscles suddenly snapped tight as she went into a seizure. Not knowing what else to do Jack held her tightly against his chest as she continued to convulse. He started to black out himself, he'd almost forgotten for a moment that he was dying as well. The edges of his vision turned red, but he battled against the darkness to stay with her.

When it was over Sam clutched Jack's shirt. She buried her face against his chest and broke down into silent tears. As tremors continued to assault her she whimpered and began crying harder. Jack rocked her gently, desperate to ease her burden. His own head was pounding and spinning with dizziness, every muscle ached, his joints protested each motion, and nausea twisted his insides. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. She'd had less body mass to work with to start, and with the alien animal bite infection made her blood toxic.

"Please, please, Carter...just let me end this for you."

Sam shook her head head emphatically. To make her point she pushed away from him, arching her back over his arms that were still wrapped around her waist. She fought hard to speak however the extra effort cost her everything. Sam's eyes rolled back and she passed out. Jack was just quick enough to reach up and catch her head before it fell back. He stared at the helpless creature in his arms as if he'd never seen her before.

"Kill her, O'Neill, kill her now." Jack snarled at himself. "She's delusional, she doesn't know what she wants. She is going to die anyway, you're torturing her. You're her Commanding Officer, you're her Colonel...she's _your_ responsibility. Show some _Goddamn_ courage!"

In a sudden fit of insanity Jack laid Sam out on the hard floor and straddled her. He put one palm down next to her head to support himself as he bent over her. He clamped his other hand down on her mouth like a rapist trying to keep his victim from screaming. On her next breath Sam's frame automatically tensed. Although her eyes were still closed she bucked against him. Tears streaming down his face Jack held her tighter until she relaxed.

When her chest no longer rose Jack released her and cried out in panic. Looking down at Sam he saw that her pulse still throbbed at her delicate throat, but her skin was turning a bluish ivory. Frantic to return what he had just stolen Jack pinched her nose shut. Locking his lips to hers he pushed breath back into her weak lungs. After two forced breath Sam gasped violently and began breathing on her own again.

He doubted that she had been conscious for any of it, but the horror of what he'd just done crushed down on his heart making him suddenly as breathless she had been. Jack scrambled off her and backed himself against the bars. Raking his trembling hands through his hair Jack pulled his knees up to his chest and began screaming.

Crazed by the stress Jack whipped himself around to face the bars. He gabbed one in each hand and started to try and force them apart. Snarling and growling in frustration he strained his starving muscles to the breaking point. Crying out from pent up rage and animalistic fear he tore at the unbendable bars until his body physically failed him and his hands lost their ability to grip.

Kneeling on the stone floor Jack rested his forehead on the cold bars that were slowly caring out their death sentence and broke into a bitter weeping. He put his hands back on the bars and yanked back on them again. Pushed beyond his endurance Jack pitched forward and began dry heaving, his stomach blazing with agony with each powerful spasm. When his abdomen could simply no longer contract he bowed all the way to the floor and moaned pitifully.

"Help us, anyone, please. Help. Don't let her die like this." Jack whispered. "I'll give anything, _everything_. God please just...just save her..."


	4. Chapter 4

Note from the Phoenix: I'm so thrilled that people are seemingly enjoying this story! It's got a bunch of watcher already, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I love to chat with readers because they often will change the course of a story. So HUGS to you all! I'm so excited that you are into this little experiment of mine (I'm not a shipper by trade).

Chapter Four

It was raining again or possibly 'still', Jack was losing track of how time worked. Laying on the ground with the cold stone pressing into his spine Jack took a deep breath. He had rolled Sam up on to his stomach so that she didn't have to lay on the hard stone. Sleeping with her belly pressed against his Jack could feel her now sharp hip bones digging into his own wasting flesh.

Staring up at the gray ceiling Jack slowly ran his hands up her sides. She'd always had enticing curves, but now she was literally hourglass shaped. Sam's ribs felt like a sheet of corrugated iron, however they slowly expanded and receded from his touch as her lungs kept working hard. Jack kept his hands loosely on either side of her rib cage and matched his own breathing rhythm to hers.

Jack spent the next hour wondering that if he continued with synchronizing himself with Sam's gentle breathing that if she suddenly stopped he could as well. He could accept her death if he knew he would be right there with her. Jack was getting lightheaded from matching Sam's slow steady breathing, but he forced himself to continue.

Outside it started raining even harder. Turing his head to the side Jack looked out through the wet bars. The rain was a solid sheet of shimmering gray. It was comforting. The waterfall blocked out the sight of the other dying inmates, it cleansed the air of the smell of putrid rot, and above all it drowned out the silence. The drumming of the rain was a soothing noise that helped masked the fact that the souls that still lived were too far gone to cry out anymore.

Sam shifted in her sleep. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from slipping from her perch. When his hand came in contact with a wet spot on her lower back he furrowed his brow in confusion. Jack pulled up her shirt a bit and explored the area with his fingertips. Her spine was clearly defined through the thin muscle. However that's not what concerned Jack the most, it was the sticky feeling at the point where her spine and pelvis met.

Jack brought on of his hands up over Sam's shoulder. He craned his neck up to inspect his hand. Jack's rancid breath hissed across his teeth as he caught sight of the watery blood that stained his skin. He cursed himself for not thinking of this before. After several weeks of laying on her back on the unyielding stone she had developed an infected pressure sore. It was a potentially fatal complication.

Jack actually managed a hollow chuckle at this last thought. Sam was on the brink of having her organs shut down from a lack of fuel or a fever induced seizure slipping her into a coma and he was worrying about a hole in her skin. Although he still wished he had thought about it sooner so that she didn't have to cope with another open wound, it could have been prevented. Carefully avoiding the infection Jack positioned his arms higher up her back in a cradling embrace.

Turning his head to the side once more Jack watched as the rain slowly slackened. The canine beast across the way was lapping the rainfall off the bars of his cage greedily. He had survived this long only because there used to be another one locked up with him. When they started to grow weak the stronger of the two wolves had no moral issues with killing the other one and consuming her.

Jack had been sick to his stomach when he'd witnessed the frenzied animals turning on each other. Sam however had brought up the subject of cannibalism, knowing even then that she would be the one to die first.

"Not if it would keep me alive for the next thousand years." Jack had said firmly.

"And yet you've been feeding me your blood for two days."

"I'm a hypocrite, sue me."

"I just might."

That had been one of the last true conversation they'd had before Sam's voice had simply become too difficult to use. Even though she was excellent at communicating through her expressions Jack wished they'd chosen a different topics for their last words together. He regretted not discussing how much she meant to him when she still had a chance at truly responding. Now he could see the frustration in her eyes every time she tried to speak and failed.

The pounding rain had finally ended. With the end of the rains came the earthy smell that hung in the heavy humid air. Jack broke from Sam's rhythm to take a deep breath of the organic laden air. Suddenly being lifted up higher by Jack's expanding chest woke Sam. He held his breath for a moment to see if she would just go back to sleep again.

Sam's arms had been splayed out to either side on top of Jack's. She drew them in so that she could press her palms on either sides of his ribs. Softly digging her nails into him she let him know that she was awake and alert once again. She was laying with one cheek on his chest, but didn't have the strength to lift her head up to look at him. If she had any recollection of his attempted murder she wasn't showing it.

"Thirsty?" Jack asked.

Sam squeezed at his ribs twice.

"No." Jack translated. "Okay. Comfortable?"

Jack felt Sam's nails press against him once.

"Good."

For a while Sam just relaxed. Jack reached up and stroked her hair. In response she started lightly scratching at his sides. Jack smiled, enjoying the intimate touch despite the circumstances. However, the longer he laid there in silence the more his stomach hurt with something that had nothing to do with hunger.

"Carter...I need you to forgive me." Jack whispered, noticing for the first time how hoarse his own voice was becoming. "I gave up on you before you were ready to give up on yourself. I'm sorry."

Sam started struggling and for a terrifying moment Jack thought she was about to have another seizure. Instead he discovered that she was trying to push herself up on her palms. When that failed she snaked her hands up onto his shoulders and used the purchase to drag herself up higher on his chest.

Trying to see what she was doing Jack brought his head up and before he knew what was happening Sam gave him a soft kiss. Their lips had barely touched, but it still caused Jack's laboring heart to pound harder against his ribs. Sam tugged on his shoulders a little harder to bring her lips near his ear. Jack could feel her taking a deep breath and parting her lips in an attempt to speak so he held his breath to keep his own noisy lungs from drowning her out.

"I...love you..."

Sam's voice had been just a faint whisper, a light breeze rustling a single aspen leaf. Exhausted from the effort Sam fell back against his chest. She was breathing like she'd just run a mile and suddenly dug her nails into the flesh of Jack's shoulders. She was starting to shake as her breathing became more ragged. Sam was drawing blood with her nails, but Jack just kept holding her while the tremor wracked her system.

"I've got you...it's almost over." Jack whispered soothingly. "It has been an honour to serve with you, and nothing short of awe inspiring to be at your side."

Jack wasn't sure how much of what he had said got through to her. Sam went into a violent seizure the moment the last word had touched his lips. With one hand pressed against her mid back and the other cradling the back of her head Jack kept her from thrashing. Tears streaked from the corners of his eyes as her shaking subsided. When it was over her breathing was shallow, but she was still hanging on.

"Damn it woman, why won't you let go?"

Drained despite the small amount of physical effort it had taken to hold Sam down Jack started to fade. He turned his head to the side to stare at the bars, hoping to keep himself awake. He didn't want to pass out and find that Sam had slipped away while he'd dropped his guard. When he focused his eyes Jack noticed that he was being watched.

A reptilian alien with a slight pinkish hue to its scales was staring at him with shockingly blue eyes. It was crouched down so that they were at eye level with one another. When the creature saw that it had been noticed it pulled its lips away from its slightly pointed teeth. Jack furrowed his brow at the sight, it almost looked like the alien was smiling. It stood up and looked over at something Jack couldn't see.

"Crlouk!" The alien called. "Est mer hana!"

Jack still didn't know what was going on and wondered if he was hallucinating. When there was a sharp cracking sound by the door he turned his attention in that direction. There were four more of the humanoid lizards and they had broken the door. Adrenaline pulsed into Jack's blood and instantly sent him into a fight or flight mind set. Since flight was out of the question he prepared to fight.

Using what was left of his strength Jack rolled Sam gently off and pushed her into the far corner. He tried to get to his feet, but his blood pressure would only allow him to get to his hands and knees. Out of other options he looked up at the aliens entering the cage and bared his teeth at them like a junk yard dog.

"Stay away!"

The alien that had stepped into the cage backed away in cautious fright. They were a about Jack's height, and right now they were around his weight which meant that if he had been healthy he could easily hurt one in a fight. However, Jack was not healthy and the aliens knew this. Still they kept back for a moment and discussed between each other what to do.

The original alien with the pink scales joined them. She stepped forward and knelt down. She extended her long fingered hand towards Jack. He just stared at her apprehensively. Exposing her teeth again she started talking in a soft voice that Jack had no hope or desire to understand. Jack's head was spinning and the longer he stayed on his knees the greater danger he was in of passing out or scumming to another fit of dry heaving.

"Leave her alone!" Jack growled. "Back off..."

The pink reptile was not disturbed by Jack's clumsy attempts at an aggressive display. Getting back to her feet she took another step closer. Jack lashed out at the pink dragon, even though it wasn't nearly close enough to be hit. One of the other aliens came up and put its hand on its friend's shoulder. After a moment the pink one made an odd circular motion with her head and stepped back.

Jack wasn't sure when it had happened but one of the larger lizards had either retrieved or had been given a device that looked suspiciously like a rabies pole. The simple stick had a loop of wire at one end a way to pull it tight at the other. The alien stepped forward slowly.

Backing up Jack quickly bumped into Sam. He automatically turned to make sure she was okay and that was when the alien took the advantage. The wire noose snapped tight around Jack's neck and jerked him back. He brought his hands up to his throat, but he wasn't strong enough to pull off the wire.

Jack had assumed that they were just going to use the hold to strangle him to death, however, it quickly became clear that they were doing their best not to hurt him. No matter their intentions Jack fought them till they managed to tie his hands behind his back. On his knees gasping for breath Jack spat curses as them. It wasn't until they started pulling him towards the now open door that fear took over his senses.

"No!" Jack cried. "No! No, I can't leave her! Let me go!"

Straining to keep from being moved Jack cried out incoherently. The pink alien stepped up to Sam and knelt down next to her. She reached out with her scaly hand and pressed her thin fingers against Sam's throat. Sam's eyes fluttered open and instantly filled with fear. She looked around desperately to try and understand what was happening. Jack locked eyes with her for a moment before being forced out of the cage and into the tall grass.

He'd spent over two months wanting nothing more than to get to the other side of the bars. Now that he was out he was willing to fight to the death to get back. His hands were suddenly cut free, but with the wire around his neck he was still at the alien's mercy. Despite his bests efforts he was backed into a metal box a little larger than he was. The noose was removed and a wire mesh door quickly slammed shut.

A heavy black cloth was thrown over the kennel that plunged him into a an inky darkness. Jack heard a desperate cry that under normal circumstances he would not have thought was human. Sam screamed again, a distorted and painful sound. He slammed his shoulder against the door, but it wasn't going anywhere. The crate he was in was suddenly moving, they were taking him away. Jack laced his fingers through the mesh of the door.

"_**Samantha!**_"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Jack spent several hours in the small cage passing in and out of consciousness. Although he couldn't see anything the gentle rocking and windy sounds told him that he was been moved a great distance. Curled up in the back corner of the metal container Jack sat staring at the only pin point of light, which he assumed was a small hole in the blanket that they thrown over the cage. Salty tracks stained his face, but he couldn't truly cry. He still hadn't accepted the new situation.

Rubbing at his painful heart Jack leaned his head back and moaned. He couldn't get the image of Sam's eyes widened with fear as he was being torn from her. Her anguished cry echoed in his mind and he wondered if it had been her last, if the alien had finally done what he had been unable to. Jack closed his eyes against the sting of real tears. It was supposed to have been him, he was meant to be the one to be with her at the end.

"She wasn't supposed to be alone."

Swallowing against a painful lump in his throat Jack tried to zone out. Shutting down his thoughts was a trick he'd learned during his six months in the Iraqis prison, back when he was still running Black Ops. It wasn't as easy to clear his thoughts now. Back on Earth he had been the one who had been betrayed, he was the one who had been left behind. He had only needed to let go of his anger and bitterness. Here he felt that he had abandoned his teammate, failed her. Grief and guilt were not emotions that could be controlled and they tore at him mercilessly. Thinking back he decided that he hadn't fought hard enough, that he should have done more.

"I should have fought to the death."

Jack knew in his heart that he had been too weak to engage the aliens in a confrontation that would have forced them to kill him. Everything had happened so fast. These facts brought him no comfort in the confines of his new cage. Feeling more weary than he could ever remember being Jack allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep.

When Jack woke a dim light was invading his space. The blanket had been skewed to the side so that now there was about an inch long strip that could see seen out of. He wasn't moving anymore, but there were lots of voices. It was the same intricate language that Jack was used to hearing from the natives back when they still visited. There were other sounds as well, most notable was the clinking and clacking of metal striking metal.

Not sure if he was interested in what was going on Jack sat up with his back against the back wall of his new home. A sudden shrill cry followed by shouting finally got Jack's attention. It had sounded like someone stepping on a dog's tail. Jack got on his hands and knees to peer out of the slit of light in the door.

All Jack could really see was a smooth white floor and a pale blue wall that was about twenty feet away. There was more commotion off to the right and the cry repeated only weaker this time. Jack didn't know the language, but he knew when he was hearing orders being barked. After about ten minutes everything went quiet for a second. Jack listened to the voices chatter amongst one another, this time in a calmer tone.

Jack watched with his emotions completely detached as two of the aliens carried a large feline creature into his view. A third laid down a tarp and they placed the animal down on it. It had once been white, but was now dingy with dirt and streaked in dried blood. Painfully emaciated it stared at Jack with glassy dead orange eyes.

If Jack had any reason to fear death he would have been terrified at this moment. However he had long given up on that particular fear. He couldn't even feel sorrow for the creature's death, his heart was already shattered by his separation from Sam. It wasn't capable of feeling any more pain. As a result he was unaffected by the events surrounding him.

Sitting back Jack waited his turn. When the blanket was fully pulled off his cage he just sat there peacefully. He didn't have the strength or desire to fight. He still hadn't decided if he had been rescued, or if he'd been sold again to scientific experiments or what have you. Truthfully he didn't care.

The aliens were still highly cautious when dealing with him. They opened the door just enough to get their pole with the wire loop through the door. Jack shook his head sadly and just let them place it over his neck. They coaxed him out of kennel, but he was unable to get to his feet. For the time being they seemed satisfied to have him on his knees.

Jack glanced around and saw a highly sophisticated medical lab. The aliens here all wore similar black outfits, very simple and uniform like in nature. One of them was cleaning blood off the large metal table that dominated center of the room. Jack turned away as another came into the room with a rolling cart of various sadistic looking sliver tools. He looked up at the alien that had him by the throat.

"You're not going to dissect me alive or anything like that are you?" Jack asked with little concern.

The reptilian creature furrowed its brow which was accented by darker scales. The pink alien suddenly stepped into Jack's view. Although she, Jack had decided that it must be a 'she', was now wearing the same black outfit as the others he recognized her instantly. She looked down at him and reached out to stroke his hair. Jack pulled back to keep from being touched, he wasn't in the mood to be treated like a stray dog. The pink dragon started speaking to him in long complicated sentences.

"I don't understand a word of what you're saying." Jack interrupted. "Just do whatever it is you're going to do to me."

The pink one stared at him for a moment before an older looking green scaled male approached her. They discussed something between one another. It sounded to Jack like they were trying to figure out what their next best move would be. They started arguing, but in the end the pink alien seemed to win.

Approaching him carefully she bent down and loosened the wire around his neck and pulled it off. She held her breath for a moment, looking all the world like she was waiting to see if Jack would attack her. He briefly considered it, it might earn him a death sentence. However, in the end he was too listless to act on even suicidal thoughts. His pink friend bared her teeth at him in a mockery of a smile and made a motion like she was going to take off her shirt.

When Jack made no move one way or another she reached out and started tugging at his fifthly black shirt. Knowing what she wanted he tried to lift his arms above his head, but he started to shake violently with the effort. Under orders the green lizard stepped closer and after a moments hesitation he reached out and took Jack's wrists to help him hold his arms up. With one quick motion they pulled his shirt off.

Starvation and captivity had pulled Jack's skin tight across his frame. He hadn't reached the extreme that Sam had yet, but his ribs were still clearly visible. Where his ribcage and abdomen met was a concave slope that flattened out as it disappeared into the tightened waistband of his uniform. The pink alien traced her smooth fingertips over his body, pressing harder when she came to a place that looked like it may be injured to see if he'd react. When she went to take his dog tags off Jack reached up and grabbed them causing the others to back away in fear.

"Those stay with me."

Jack noticed that one of the aliens had moved off to the side and retrieved a rod with a silver tip on it. He was fairly certain it was something that could subdue him. Of course at this point it would only take a sharp kick to the stomach to render him completely helpless. Still they were treating him as though he was dangerous. The green alien gave some orders and two others that Jack hadn't even seen suddenly had him by the elbows.

Hoisted up onto the metal table Jack came close to passing out again. His blood pressure kept dropping as his heart weakened. The only thing that kept him conscious was the fact that they quickly laid him down on his back. Jack growled in pain as one of the aliens stretched out his sliced up left arm and began scrubbing the wounds with a yellowish fluid. As time had gone by his body had been less and less capable of healing the self inflicted wounds.

Uninterested in his fate Jack laid still on the cold metal peacefully as they cleaned the cuts. He was a little less pleased when he noticed one of them drawing over a dozen different syringe looking devices with various coloured fluids. The green alien pushed down on Jack's chest with his palm in an attempt to help restrain him while another stretched out his right arm and held his forearm in both hands with clear intension of further restraining him. Another picked up one of the syringes.

"Listen, guys, my Health Insurance is _really_ picky about which providers I see...I don't think they are going to cover this. So why don't you just let me die in peace, okay?"

The aliens paused and looked at one another and began talking again. They all seemed to have an opinion about Jack, but he couldn't figure any of them out. Jack's nonsensical protest didn't help him and he felt the first of many needles being forced into his wrist. Several of the injections burned all the way up his arm. Others brought his heart rate up to racing before they settled in his system. After what felt like an hour of these continual injections Jack moaned in delusional pain.

There was suddenly a cold wet contact at his forehead. Looking up he saw that the female alien looking down at him with her deep sapphire eyes. She was running some sort of cold stone, or possibly a solid looking sponge across his skin. Jack forced a sad smile.

"I know you're trying to help...but please...just stop."

They didn't stop and as much as Jack hated it the more drugs they pushed into his starved blood the less pain he felt. He wanted to hold on to the pain, it was the only thing he had left of Sam. Jack suddenly wanted to fight against the creatures trying to fix his broken body, angry that they hadn't come in time to save them both.

Before he got the chance to even try Jack felt an increase in the amount of hands holding him down. The weren't messing with his arms anymore, in fact they brought them close to his sides. He took a breath to snarl something they wouldn't understand. The moment he opened his mouth a snake slipped down his throat. He thrashed violently, his thoughts going instantly to a Goa'uld. However after a short period of time the tube was yanked back out.

When lifted off the table Jack was unable to even keep his head up. They dragged him back over to the small cage. Laying on the steel floor Jack wrapped his hands over his stomach. It felt like he'd swallowed a water balloon. He shivered as a bone chilling cold overtook him. What he didn't realize was the fact that drop in body temperature was being caused by his blood rushing towards his recently filled stomach, ready to soak in the much needed nutrients.

Jack curled up tightly, but nothing could stop the tremors. A soft warm blanket was thrown over him and he gripped it tightly to pull it closer. His body's instinct to survive and seek comfort was winning the battle over his mind which was ready to give in. Within minutes he was sleeping soundly.

A gentle knocking brought Jack back to his senses. Without opening his eyes he reached out in search of Sam to make sure she was okay. It was a painful realization that greeted him as his hand only came in contact with a cold metal wall. He brought his hand up to his chest and rubbed at the constricted feeling around his heart.

"Rearlist?"

Jack rolled over on to his back and stared up at the blue eyed alien that was looking down at him through the mesh door. He rolled his eyes at her and tried to go back to sleep. She opened the door and pushed on his shoulder. Jack ground his teeth together.

"Leave me alone."

"Tek ket, neari." She replied cheerfully.

"Look, you clearly know I'm not just another animal...can't you understand that I might not want to be kept alive?"

"Tek ket, neari." She repeated.

"You know...when I was a kid I caught this little lizard in my back yard. I kept it in a box as a pet for about a week before it died, probably because I was trying to feed it table scraps." Jack babbled. "Anyway, I was really upset when I discovered that I'd killed it, and I swore that I would never do it again. So if all of this is some sort of karma I just want you to know that I really was sorry about murdering him."

The pink dragon turned her head to the side and stared at him. When he didn't make any further motions she tried once again to get him to come out. Even though he was feeling stronger after just the one meal he still forced them to drag him out of the cage. They put him back on his knees and tilted his head to right to stretch the skin on the left side. Jack jerked slightly as an ice cold gel was smeared on his neck from the back of his ear to his chest.

The gel had a very antiseptic smell to it and seemed to be numbing his skin. An alien with more of a blue hue to his scales came up with a device that looked like a fancy pen in his slender hand. The pink female carded her fingers into his hair and held him still. Jack heard a minute of a high pitched noise, but he didn't know what was going on. He was released and someone wiped the gel off his neck.

Although Jack couldn't see the results he now wore a series of small tribal looking teal coloured symbols in a vertical line from just below his ear to just above where his shoulder and neck met. The next move he could more clearly understand. The pink alien knelt down in front of him with a highly polished silver chain in her hands. The links were about half an inch long and a quarter of an inch wide each.

"I really don't need or want a collar."

"Dali." She sighed in what sounded like an apology.

She reached out and wrapped the chain around his neck despite the fact that he tried to lean away from her. There was a larger circle at one end of the chain which the free end was threaded through. The blue alien stepped back up and secured another metal circle to the loose end of the chain and with a quick spark he welded it in place. When released the jewelry quality choke chain's pull tab rested a few inches below the point where Jack's collar bones met.

Jack watched while the process was repeated around each of his wrists. The new bracelets could be pulled tighter, but they couldn't be removed without being cut free. Usually he would have a few choice words for anyone who thought they could treat him this way, but he just closed his eyes and sighed.

Helped to his feet Jack discovered that his blood pressure control had been greatly enhanced. He felt dizzy, but didn't he didn't feel like he was going to pass out. Looking around he noticed that at some point he'd been moved out of the medical lab. There wasn't very much in this room other than a large rectangular metal tub that was elevated up off the ground by a white stone slab.

It took Jack's senses a moment to register the heavily floral scent in the air and it wasn't until they helped him take a few steps closer to the tub that he noticed that it was full of a murky blue water. A few tendrils of steam curled at the surface. The pink alien took a few moments trying to work the knot that Jack had tied in his belt to make it small enough.

"I can take a hint, I can also bath myself thank you very much."

"Wen rieks nar telmagua."

"Right, of course, my thoughts exactly."

Jack pulled at the tangled belt and found that despite feeling better he still wasn't strong enough or dexterous to remove the belt. Someone had already been sent for a knife and the belt was cut free. Jack had lost enough weight that they didn't even have to attempt the buttons. He and Sam had both removed their shoes weeks ago in fear that the humidity would quickly lead to fungal infections in the synthetic leather shoes.

With their captive naked the aliens chattered among one another. They were clearly interested although the pink alien did her best to protect him from their staring. Jack had to chuckle, modesty had never been one of his stronger traits.

"Yeah, I don't know why human guys don't keep their sensitive parts more tucked away like everyone else either." Jack smiled. "It would make a hell of a lot more sense."

Upon seeing him smile the pink alien instantly bared her teeth at him again. When she had first done the awkward facial expression at him he had been unsure of her meaning. He was starting to think now that smiling wasn't something her kind did, but that she knew it was something that humans saw as 'friendly'. It made him wonder how much experience she'd had with them.

Starting to get tired on his feet Jack decided that he was going to be placed in the tub no matter what he wanted so he might as well do it himself. The warm water felt wonderful against his sore muscles and dirty skin. One of the male aliens brought Jack's wrists to either side of the tub and another snapped the bracelets he wore into clips that he hadn't noticed before.

"You don't have to chain me up...I'm not going to hurt you."

The pink alien attempted her smile again. Jack decided that although she was trying the way she showed him her sharp teeth was extremely disconcerting. He tried smiling at her without showing his teeth and she practiced a few time to mimic the new expression.

"That's an improvement. Doesn't look so much like you're about to tear my throat out."

"Near mali?" The blue alien asked her.

The female alien rotated her head in a circular motion. Jack guessed that the motion meant either 'yes' or 'no', but he wasn't sure which it was. Whatever the cue the others left. She went over to a shelf and brought back a glass bottle and an oddly shaped wash cloth. She poured an orange gel out of the bottle and spread it on the cloth. Jack shook his head sadly and allowed her to clean his skin. It wasn't until she slipped her hand down his stomach towards his hips that he tried to jerk away.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Lady." Jack protested. "Looking is one thing, but if you're going to wash me there you're gonna have to buy me dinner first. And that whole tube down the throat ordeal doesn't count. I want a steak, a nice one, something free range, and possibly a few glasses of wine."

The alien narrowed her eyes and made a purring type sound.

"Is that a laugh? That's creepier than your smile."

"Dali."

"Does that mean sorry?"

When the alien just stared at him Jack sighed in frustration. After a minute of thinking about it the pink dragon reached out and unclipped one of his wrists. She offered Jack the wash cloth and he took it gratefully. The once blue water was becoming stained with gray from the months worth of grim coming off his skin. When he felt he was as clean as he'd ever been he put the cloth over the side of the tub.

Feeling braver the alien reached over and unclipped his other wrists. She ran her hand over the seemingly plain wall at the foot of the tub and it lit up with a variety of colours. She played with the lights for a moment and the tub drained quickly. She brought Jack a large round towel and he began to dry his skin.

When he was done she reached out and took his wrist and brought it back to where she could clip it back to the restraint. Jack voluntarily brought his other wrist to the clip on the other side. She paused and stared at him for a minute before clipping it to the bracelet.

"Gala."

"No problem. I don't want to get you in trouble for trusting me."

The dragon furrowed her delicate brow. She looked like she desperately wanted to be able to understand what he was saying. Jack smiled, he had often seen a very similar expression on Daniel's face when he came across one of the few languages he didn't know. She gave in with a sigh and called for the others.

Jack still wasn't very stable on his feet and needed help getting out of the tub. He was then dressed in a pair of loose white pants that only reached a few inches past his knees. Looking at them he realized it was what the aliens wore, it just looked different on their oddly jointed legs. They had to pull the drawstring tight to keep them up on his thin hips. He was also given a large short sleeved shirt that had a wide v-neck. The material was soft and looked a lot like silk.

"Thanks."

"Gala?"

Jack nodded, thinking that they had correctly translated that word between them. However, she didn't understand the nodding. Jack wasn't used to dealing with a culture where nodding and head shaking had no meaning. He went to take a step towards the small cage that was still sitting on the floor and lost some of his balance.

Dizzy again Jack put nearly all his weight on the two aliens that had his elbows. He expected to be placed into the kennel again, however they guided him past it and down a short hallway. He glanced to either side and found more bars keeping animals captive. Not all of them looked like they were dying, in fact some lunged at them violently.

When he was brought to an empty cell Jack began to struggle. The mesh enclosure of the kennel had been one thing, but he didn't think he could stand being trapped behind bars again. Panting heavily from the effort Jack managed to tear himself free of the aliens holding him. He only made it a few steps before falling to his hands and knees.

Jack weld his eyes shut, he figured that they would retaliate for his disobedience. He braced himself to be kicked or beaten in some respect. He'd been taxing his weak body too much, his mind was starting to shut down again and it was now running on old information. When touched he lashed out at the aliens as if they were enemy Jaffa. One of them cried out in pain and the other shouted an alarm.

The collar around his neck suddenly pulled tight. Crying out like the animal he was being treated as Jack fought harder. Rearing up to his full height he blindly turned on the creatures that had been helping him. When he was suddenly released Jack tumbled to the floor. Disoriented he couldn't get back up.

Jack rolled over on his back and looked over just in time to see the bars slide back into position. Gasping for breath the pattern of the bars filling his vision drove him to screaming. Any sanity that he'd regained over the past few hours instantly vanished. His instincts were crying out to him that it was about to start all over again.

Trying to get to his feet he stumbled and fell back to the stone floor. Backing as far from the bars as possible he ran into a heap of blankets that had been left for him. As the initial shock of being caged again wore off he laid down on his side on the blankets so at least he didn't have to feel the familiar stone floor. His stomach twisted painfully, but he didn't have the energy left to be sick.

Welding his eyes shut Jack tried to keep the last cry he'd heard from Sam from replaying again. None of this had seemed real until he'd seen the bars again. Now not only was it a reality, he had to suffer it alone this time. Jack shook his head in a repetitive fashion at his last thought. He told himself again and again that he should be grateful that he was on his own. The mantra didn't keep him for breaking into to tears for his lost companion.

Jack brought himself back under control and forced his eyes open. He stared through the bars, feeling numb once again. On the other side a spotted animal that had feathers without having wings was contently licking its feathers. Jack closed his eyes again, too tired to keep them open for long.

When his imagination continued to show him Sam's eyes filled with fear he tried to remember the way she looked while she slept. With her eyes closed she always looked so peaceful and that was how he wanted to remember her.

"At least tell me that they didn't leave you there to be scavenged...you deserve better."


	6. Chapter 6

Note from the Phoenix: I have a painting of one of these scenes that I did. It can be found at my homepage under Stargate Art.

Chapter Six

"Where is she, Jack?"

"Daniel, I...I did everything I cou..."

"It that were true she'd still still be alive."

"I tried to sa..."

"Or at the very least you'd be dead." Daniel interrupted icily. "Why did you leave her behind?"

"No, never. Daniel, please..."

"Then where is she?"

"I don't know." Jack admitted miserably.

"Do you even know she's dead?"

"She has has to be."

"Is that what you know to be true or what you wish to be true?"

"Why would I want her dead?!"

"You tell me." Daniel hissed. "You're the one who tried to murder her."

Jack jerked in his sleep as the reoccurring nightmare assaulted him. No matter how many times the scene replayed he continually fought to change the outcome. Nothing ever changed though and the nightmare simply started to repeat itself once again. Back in the torturous cage Sam cried out as one of the aliens forced her to the stone floor. She fought her attacker with the strength that she'd had before starvation and infection had stolen it away.

Baring his sharp teeth in a fierce hiss a gray scaled dragon straddled her, sitting down on her stomach to pin her down. Jack didn't know why he couldn't get to her, why he couldn't help. He was fighting and screaming but it didn't get him any closer to helping her. Jack watched helplessly as the alien clamped his hand down over Sam mouth just as he had done.

Arching her back Sam clawed and kicked at the murderous reptile. It seemed to take hours before her struggling began to die down. Tears streaked from the corners of her eyes as she started to claw at the stone floor. Sam jerked spasmodically as her oxygen starved heart finally failed her. When she relaxed completely the alien released her. Sam's head fell to the side and Jack was staring into vacant sightless aqua eyes.

"Carter!"

Before Daniel could interrogate him in his mind again Jack woke with a violent gasp. It was dark, an unnatural night that was lit by only a soft blue glow that seemed to have no source. Sitting up Jack pressed his back into the corner and ran his hands through his rapidly graying hair. He kept his eyes on the floor, not wanting to look at the bars. He could hear the feathered creature pacing, it was a nocturnal animal and it grew restless at night.

Reaching into his shirt Jack pulled out the new set of dog tags that he wore, a set adorned with a single white tooth. The pink dragon had handed it to him through the bars two days ago. She hadn't bothered explaining, she just offered him the gift. He had stared at the metal tags for hours, trying to figure out what they meant.

Was Sam here, alive, and this was how the alien was trying to tell him that? If that was true why not just let him see her? Had the alien noticed how much his own tags meant to him and returned to Sam's body to retrieve them for him as a memento?

If Sam was here he wanted to see her, even if just to look at her corpse. It would answer the one question that was driving him to insanity. Death was hard enough to accept without the gnawing of uncertainly. Clearly the side of his mind that had been influenced by his years of friendship with Daniel didn't think she was gone. Jack's rational military side told him that she had been too close to death to be saved.

"By human medicine." Jack muttered to remind himself that stranger things had happened in the past.

Still tired from not truly getting any sleep Jack laid down on his side with his back up against the wall. After his first night in the small cell the pink dragon had brought him a large pillow. Instead of resting his head on it he held it close to his chest. The feeling of having something in his arms offered a small amount of psychological comfort.

Morning came sooner than he would have thought as the blue light was slowly intensified to a white daylight. Sighing heavily he sat up and leaned against the wall. It had been five days and although still weak Jack could tell that his body was starting to work on repairing itself. They would be here soon to tempt him with food again. Like clockwork a smallish alien slid a round metal plate through a gap in the bars.

Jack looked at the plate that held a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables along with bread like grains. There was nothing that he could name, but everything looked some what familiar to foods found on Earth. It wasn't long before another plate was placed beside the first. This one had several different colours of meat, both cooked and raw.

"I have to admit that you guys are trying hard."

He never touched any of the foods they offered him three times a day. Today was no different. He just played idly with Sam's dog tags. He knew that in about an hour they would be there to force feed him, his throat was getting raw from the invasive tube. However he knew eventually they would give up on him.

Today they waited a little longer than usual and when two of the aliens came to his door the pink one came chased them away. She sat down on the far side of the bars and attempted her tight lipped smile. She still talked to Jack even though she had figured out by now that he didn't understand her. It reminded him of the way he used to talk to his dog, only he got the feeling his dog used to understand him a bit better.

The dragon reached through the bars and retrieved a purple slice of fruit. She ate the morsel with exaggerated excitement. Picking up another piece she offered it to him hopefully. Feeling guilty Jack reached out and took the gift. The instant he bit down on the super sweet fruit his taste buds jolted to life and he almost started drooling as his long inactive salivary glands got a little too enthusiastic about the chance to work.

Having tasted food again his entire system craved more. Ignoring his body's cries he leaned back against the wall. The pink lizard seemed satisfied that he'd at least tried and made her unusual purring sound again. Jack didn't know why, but the sound sent a chill down his spine.

"I'll eat that entire plate if you never make that sound near me again."

Jack shook his head sadly, he knew he shouldn't be talking to her. It just encouraged her to try harder to rehabilitate him. However if he was going to spend the rest of his life alone in this box he really didn't want to be helped. As if reading his thoughts the pink alien called over two helpers. She opened the door, which consisted of the bars simply sliding down into the floor.

Knowing the routine by now Jack got on his knees and held his hands behind his back. They clipped the bracelets at his wrists together and took a step back. He expected them to tilt his head back to force his stomach full, however instead the pink alien snapped a short length of chain to his collar and had the others help him to his feet.

"Oh joy...I'm being taken for a walk." Jack grumbled. "I know you think I'm dangerous, but this really is humiliating."

The pink dragon purred again, causing Jack to roll his eyes. He had been lead down to the medical lab a few times and bathed again in his time here so he assumed they were going to one of those two places. However she lead him down a different hall, her assistants kept close to him. He wasn't sure if they were there to catch him if he fell or for her protection.

They came to another set of bars and Jack walked peacefully through them. The clip between his wrists was remove and the leash was also taken off. The three aliens stayed on the near side of the bars when they slid into place. Jack was standing in a narrow hallway that had a ninety degree angle turn about ten feet down the way. He turned to the pink dragon and she made a motion like she wanted him to walk away.

"Fine."

Finally stable on his own feet Jack made his way down the hallway. Around the corner he blinked at the harsh light that greeted him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and he found himself looking out a doorway into a lush garden. He walked out into the middle of the small green space, the warm sunlight striking his face, and sat down in the blue-green grass.

"Thrilling." Jack said unimpressed.

He looked around at the low shrubs and the few trees that grew in the planted glade. It was nice enough, but the twenty foot stone wall that surrounded it just make it a different kind of prison. He looked up at the top of the wall and noticed that it had a golden railing around it. Judging the distance between the largest tree and the rail he started plotting.

Looking around to make sure he wasn't being watched Jack pulled off his shirt and tore it open from the v in the neck down. He sought out a medium sized rock and tied it into one end of the shirt. With his new tool made he tied it around his neck. At the base of the tree he made a few last calculations. Crawling up into the highest branches he took the torn shirt off his neck and threw the weighted end towards the rail that was about two feet out of reach.

The rock helped the shirt swing over the rail and he took a hold of both ends. Taking a deep breath he gripped the shirt as hard as he could and jumped out of the tree. He wasn't as strong as he used to be, but at the same time he wasn't nearly as heavy either. Hand over hand he crawled up the shirt until he got a hold of the rail.

Hauling himself over the edge Jack landed on the other side of the wall that was only about four feet high. He looked down into the pit of Eden that they'd tried to keep him in and smiled. It wasn't long however before he heard a high pitched scream. He looked over and saw that this area had been roped off, but there was a large crowd of aliens on the other side. It didn't take more than a quick glance around to confirm that he was in the middle of a large zoo.

To the aliens Jack was an escaped beast to be feared. They were already running away and shouting out in alarm. When he saw that men dressed in the same black uniform he was used to seeing were coming his way he decided to capitalize on the chaos. He ran towards the crowd rather than away from them, hopping that they were headed towards the exit.

It wasn't as easy to blend in with the swift footed lizards as Jack thought it was going to be. It wasn't long before they had all out paced him. The officials surrounded him, all armed with various weapons that Jack couldn't even guess to the nature of. Knowing he was caught he put his hands up, but they didn't understand the gesture.

"Ni'rick!" A familiar voice cried. "Ni'rick!"

Panting for breath the pink dragon raced up to the circle of men that had Jack under guard. The one with the most colours on his breast pocket started arguing with her and raised his weapon. She snarled and snapped at him aggressively. He growled right back at her, but he lowered the weapon slightly.

When she stepped forward and held out her hand Jack took a moment to decide if he was going to take it. She had such a frightened and desperate look in her eyes that once again made Jack feel guilty. Sighing heavily he stepped forward to take her hand. The staff with weapons all tensed and kept their eyes locked on his every motion.

"For crying out loud, I'm not going to hurt her."

The pink alien seemed to be the only who truly believed this. She snapped the leash back on, but he got the feeling that she did it to make the others feel more comfortably rather than for her own safety. She lead him back towards a large building and back into the underground of the expansive facility with three of the guards following.

Back in his cell Jack wandered over to the corner and sat down. He hadn't really thought he could actually escape, but something in him wouldn't let him just stand there and not try. The pink alien sat down on the far side of the bars and stared at him. She hung her head and make a clicking sound. When she looked back up slowly made a circular motion with her head.

"K'eck, na k'eck ta hu?" She sighed.

"I know that tone. That's the 'what am I going to do with you?' voice."

The alien stared at him for a few more minutes before suddenly launching into a full soliloquy, complete with hand gestured and sound effects. She talked for a full ten minutes before coming to an end. Jack just shook his head.

"I'm sure whatever that was it was some sort of grand confession, and I hope it makes you feel better to get it off your chest. But the simple fact remains: you can keep me alive in this prison, but you can't force me to live."

After looking at Jack with unblinking eyes she bowed her head to rest on the bars. She looked so defeated. Jack got up and came closer. She jumped slightly when he reached through the bars to touch her. Taking off Sam's dog tags he placed them in her hand and closed her long fingers over them.

"I want to see her. Please. I have to know she's dead." Jack said desperately. "Not knowing is more than I can take."

Looking at the metal tags in her hand the dragon made a noise of what sounded like frustration. She gave the tags back to Jack and jumped to her feet. Without another word she disappeared down the hall. Jack put the necklace back on and went back to the corner.

It was several hours before he saw anyone again and even then it was just the men coming to make sure he ate. He fought against them for the first time, hopping to make them angry enough to give up on him. However they were very professional and patient about what they were doing and got their job done.

When the pink alien didn't visit him for the rest of the day Jack started to fear that he'd lost his only ally. He didn't regret the escape attempt, but he did wish he could make her understand. Artificial night fell, but Jack wasn't tired. He sat and stared at the feathered creature as it woke and began its nightly pacing.

It was getting close to what Jack considered midnight when he heard footsteps. There had never been any night time visitors before and it made Jack slightly curious. One of the aliens came to stand in front of his cage. In the blue light of 'night' he couldn't see the alien's scale colour well, but he knew from her facial features that in natural light they would be pink. Jack got to his feet and walked up to the bars.

"What's going on?"

The pink dragon reached out and gently put her hand over his mouth. Understanding that she wanted him to be quiet Jack asked no more questions. After looking around she slid the bars down so he could step out of the cell. She held the leash in her hand, but hesitated to put it on. To show that he trusted her he took the chain and snapped it on himself.

Jack felt he knew the reason for the midnight visit and although it caused his blood to run cold he still wanted to follow her. She looked around again and took a few hesitate steps down the hall. Jack walked by her side as they made their through the darkened maze of the facility. It wasn't until they came to a metal door that she stopped and turned to him.

"Hes narka ela me haris tonak?"

"I'm sure." Jack replied feeling he knew the questions.

The dragon stared at him for a minute before opening the door. Jack stepped into the dark room and looked around at various flashing indicator lights along the walls. It wasn't until the alien closed the door and turned the lights up slightly that Jack caught sight of the dominate feature in the room.

"Carter..."

Jack's heart stumbled in its rhythm and he nearly lost his balance. The pink dragon put her arm around his waist to keep him stable. She was whispering something to him that sounded like a combination of an apology and soothing words. He didn't notice, he couldn't take his eyes off what they had done to the woman he loved.

Up on a stone pedestal Sam was a completely enclosed glass aquarium seven feet long and four feet high and wide. Suspended in the transparent blue water Sam twitched against the various restraints and tubes that held her. It was hard to tell if she was wearing some sort of skin tight black suit or if they had painted whatever it was directly to her skin. The covering ended at her wrists, ankles and throat, but did nothing to hide how painfully thin she was.

Her injured leg was encircled by metal rings that held a few dozen needles in place that had thin tubes attached to them that disappeared into the base of the tank. Silver restraints attached to struts from the bottom of the tank ensnared her ankles and wrists and held her a foot off the floor with the help of softer looking straps that held her shoulders and hips.

There was no mask on her face or tubes down her throat to help her breath. The liquid that surrounded her curled in barely visible eddies as she inhaled it directly. Her left wrist was punctured with more needles that fed various coloured fluids directly into her blood. Sam's short blond hair floated peacefully like seaweed caught in a gentle tide.

Jack was still in deep shock as he stepped closer to the case. He reached out to touch the glass but the pink alien gently stopped him. Jack stared at the terrifyingly stereotypical science fiction scene, still not quite comprehending it. Tears slipped down his face unchecked.

"Is...is she alive or just...preserved?"

As if responding to his whispered question Sam snapped her eyes open. Her eyes remained unfocused in the thick liquid, but they held that same look of horror that Jack remembered her having when they'd last seen one another. Clenching her hands into fists she violently fought against the restraints. Unable to free herself Sam threw her head back and screamed. There was no sound, just a sickening pantomime of terror as she became more and more conscious of her situation.

"Carter!" Jack cried.

Jack tore away from the pink dragon and put his palms against the thick glass. Sam continued to tug at her restraints and thrashed to the best of her ability. She seemed to stop simply screaming and looked more like she was calling out for help. The stress sent her into a seizure that caused her whole body to shake. Sam clawed her fingers as he eyes rolled back to white and she passed out again.

After staring at Sam in her new motionless state for a minute Jack pitched forward and threw up on the floor. The pink alien rubbed between his shoulder blades sympathetically. She guided him back to his feet. She took his wrist and pressed his palm against the glass before taking it away and pressing against her own chest.

"U'ri nu greala mick haus. Wen ri. Wen ri."

Jack didn't have the strength or mindset to try and translate the dragon's meaning. As he stared at Sam as she started to struggle again. Jack had been waking from nightmares for five days, but she had been waking into one. This time when she came to she ground her teeth together and started shaking with tears that simply mixed with the liquid around her. The muscles of her throat strained as she started crying out repeatedly with no effect.

"Stop...stop this...you aren't helping her." Jack whimpered. "This is going too far..."

The pink dragon put her arm over his shoulder and tried to lead him away. Jack planted his feet, he wasn't going anywhere. She pleaded with him, but nothing she could do was going to take him from his spot by Sam's side. The alien sighed and to Jack's surprise she walked off. He put his hands on the glass and tried to break it, however it was far too solid.

The female alien returned with two larger males. The asked her some questions in a dangerous voice, but she just responded calmly. They stepped up behind Jack and jabbed him with something sharp that nearly brought him to the point of blacking out.

Sedated Jack was easily taken back down the hall to his own cage. They placed him carefully on the floor and the pink alien knelt down next to him and stroked his hair for a few minutes. She brought over the blanket and pillow. Jack fought to stay awake as she placed the heavy blanket over him. She placed the the pillow in his arms and got to her feet to leave.

Jack replayed everything he had seen so that in the morning he wouldn't think that it had just been another nightmare. If he could recall all the details he knew that he would know that it wasn't a dream, his imagination wasn't that powerful or cruel. Automatically holding the pillow tighter to his chest Jack closed his eyes as the drugs brought him closer to sleep.

"You should have killed her while you had the chance, Jack." He moaned to himself. "Even if she lives...she will never be the same..."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"_**Samantha!!"**_

The memory turned nightmare jolted Sam awake every time it lashed across her mind. She had witnessed the forced separation through a haze of delirium, and yet every detail seemed so sharp. However, now she suffered in a nightmare that never ended, it just changed themes. The first few times she'd regained conciseness she had quickly lost her hold on it. The pain and physical weakness took its toll instantly upon waking.

As she grew stronger it became harder to find the blissful release of mental darkness. Every time she woke her fear grew more intense, each time it felt more real and more endless. Before she barely had the power to move, now she had the strength to fight against the cruel restraints. Unable to free herself she continued to scream and cry for help even though her ears heard no sound.

Sam felt the tight constriction of the black substance on her body, however she did not associate it with clothing and assumed she'd been stripped. She didn't have time to figure out what it was that coated her skin she was too concerned with the fact that her legs were being held slightly apart and there was nothing she could do to correct the vulnerable position or anything else for that matter.

Drawing the warm fluid that surrounded her into her lungs Sam cried out again. If this was death her mind wasn't going to make it much longer. If this was life she decided that didn't want to continue it. Sam arched her back and pulled tight at the snakes bitting into her wrists and ankles. The motion brought with it a wave of agony as the needles embedded in her leg and forearm were shaken.

Sam didn't care about physical pain, if anything it was a distraction. The terror of being completely restrained in a world that had no sound, no air, no gravity and only shapeless shadows was far more difficult to bear than the invasive metal. Sam tried to calm herself, but taking deep breaths just drew the suffocating liquid further into her aching body. She never succumb to oxygen deprivation physically, but her instincts cried out that she was drowning with ever breath.

Feeling her sanity slipping away Sam started dry heaving violently. On her back the convulsive motion caused her whole frame to jerk against the restraints. The muscular contractions were completely unproductive but now that she'd started there was nothing she could do to stop them. It was only the glowing aura of an impending seizure that ended her struggling.

She'd been experiencing the auras ever since the seizures had started back on the floor of the cage. They lasted from seconds to minutes, but it gave her a brief reprieve from fear and pain. A sensation of euphoria would take over her every thought and sense and then there would just be nothing. Sam had no memories of the seizures themselves, only the bizarre warning sign she received before hand.

Knowing that the aura would eventually save her didn't make waking any easier. Having woken from the latest seizure Sam fought hard with herself to remain calm. The fighting and screaming was senseless, just a reflex driven by the survival instinct.

Time had lost its meaning to Sam long before she found herself in the alien tank so she had no idea how long this had been going on. If she was released this moment and told a thousand years had passed she would believe it.

Since deep breaths of the liquid just caused her more panic this time around Sam tried concentrating on her heartbeat instead. For a moment it worked, she was able to remain conscious without straining against the restraints. In this state she found it easier to pass in and out of a dreamless sleep.

The next time she truly woke Sam had finally arrived at the point where she had no fight left. Jack had been right, she hadn't been ready to give up on herself before. She was ready now. Thinking about Jack reminded her that she hadn't had a chance to truly contemplate him and whatever fate he'd fallen to. Her days had been filled with alternative sheer panic and fitful nightmares.

Despite the vivid images in her mind very little of the past few months seemed very real to her. Rather than trying to figure out where she was now Sam spent some time trying to figure out the last memory she had that she knew for a fact was real. It wasn't as easy as it sounded.

"_I've got you...it's almost over." _Jack's soft voice replayed. "_It has been an honour to serve with you, and nothing short of awe inspiring to be at your side." _

That was it, that was the last thing that she was positive was real. It made far more sense that those would be Jack's last words to her rather than him crying out her full given name in terror. That hadn't sounded like him, that had to have been a delusion. He would not have shown such fear at her death, he would have remained strong on the outside no matter how terrified he was.

The thought that this was death actually was very comforting because she had come to the conclusion logical and that meant that it could be accepted. Sam quickly decided that she was stuck in a realm where time had no meaning, which was why the wounds she had suffered before death still haunted her. Nothing could be done and there was nothing to fear because she had already lost. Instead of finding realization horrifying she gained a deep sense of peace from it. She didn't have to fight anymore, she could just lay here in the space in between and rest.

This denial of her situation not mattering and being unchangeable didn't last long, even by her timeless standards. With the panic ebbing away Sam's thoughts instantly turned to her heart and how tight it felt in her chest. Even if she couldn't do anything about what was happening to Jack she wanted to know. She wanted to make sure that if he had lived that he carried on and that he didn't worry about her. More than any of that she wanted to say good bye. She recalled gathering up enough of her strength to tell him that she loved him, but that wasn't enough. The three simple words didn't even begin to explain all she had to say to him.

Growing more agitated Sam arched her back, wondering why if she was dead could she still struggle, just not win. Death was making less sense to her, torture however was starting to become more of a possibility in her mind. What if none of this had actually been happening? What if it was some sort of neurological simulation being used to break her or Jack. His horrified cry could have been reality breaking through as he was forced to watch her play out the terror and anguish that was being projected into her dreams.

This new theory suddenly felt like fact. Sam was instantly convinced that they had never shared the damning cage, no animal had come to eat her flesh in the night, they had not shared desperate confessions of love in a moment of despair. None of it was real, it was a cruel trick, a punishment from some unknown enemy.

It wouldn't be the first time someone had forced their way into her mind to ruin her sanity in an effort to break her. All Sam's fear, doubt, sorrow, and hopelessness was instantly lost. It had been replaced by a cold rage. All she needed was one chance, one glimpse at who was responsible, one misstep by the enemy and she would show them that she was far from broken and not a force to be reckoned with.

Until she could act on revenge she relaxed her mind completely to keep any negative thoughts or memories from being forced on her. As for her physical body she tensed and relaxed her muscles till exhaustion and then let her body rest before starting again. She did this so that it would be strong again when she needed it.

If Sam had to guess she'd say at least a week passed before she got the chance she was looking for. Opening her eyes one morning she tried to focus the shadows that she saw through the water into a shape she could recognize. It was then that she felt gravity beginning to work on her again. The water level was dropping, slipping down an unseen drain.

Sam's first breath of true air was a painful one. Coughing violently she spat out half of the liquid and swallowed the rest of it. The struts on the restraints that had been holding her had been lowering along with the water level so that now, although still pinned, she was laying on the cold floor of the tank. She experimented by lifting her head up against gravity and found herself capable.

The needles that had been sunk into her wrist and leg suddenly retracted. Having been in place for so long her skin had grown around them and they had to be torn out. Sam cried out weakly, hearing her voice for the first time in weeks Sam barely even recognized it as her own. Once the water was fully drained the glass slid away as well. Blinking the last of the discolored water out of her eyes Sam brought them into focus.

A beast with sickly pink scales and unnatural blue eyes was looking down on her. Sam stared at it, only recognizing its type from the dreams of the cage that she'd had. The alien creature pulled its lips back and displayed its sharp slightly translucent teeth. Swallowing her fear of the reptilian alien Sam decided the best move was to pretend to be helpless, hopping it might draw the enemy off guard.

Closing her eyes Sam moaned as if in far more pain than she was in. The alien brushed its oddly jointed hand on Sam's cheek. The touch caused Sam's skin to crawl and prickle. Another alien came into view and started talking to the first one in a language that Sam didn't understand. However she did hear the gentle tone and suddenly she wasn't so sure about her theory about this being a sadistic torture tactic.

"What are you?" Sam asked in a faint whisper.

"Quel?"

"What are you? You can't be some new breed of Goa'uld, I would feel it." Sam continued. "What do you want? Why are you doing this?"

The aliens looked at her and that back at each other. They continued to speak as though she wasn't there and anxiety began to creep into her blood. Sam brought her head up as far as she could and looked down over her body. A shiny black coated her skin as tightly as if it had been painted there. Looking over her chest she looked at the way her hip bones rose high up off either side of her stomach. Sam laid back and weld her eyes shut. Unable to determine what was real and what was illusion she was starting to panic again.

"What's going on?"

An unwelcome hand ran itself through her wet hair. She kept telling herself that this was all part of the dream or delusion and tried to wake. It wasn't until she felt her ankles being freed that she snapped back to attention. She remained motionless as her wrists were released from the metal cuffs. When she was helped into a sitting position she started to plot out her attack, not caring if this was real or not.

There were five of the unusual creatures in the room, two standing in front of her and three near what had to be the door. The door, that became her goal. She didn't have to fight them if she could out run them. She glanced around the rest of the room and noted that it looked like a lab of some sort. She decided that it had enough equipment that seemed advanced enough to induce a fevered dream so perhaps this part was real.

Sam was feeling a little dizzy from sitting up, clearly not fully recovered from whatever they had done to her. She put her hand down on the table to brace herself and it landed on one of the long thick needles that had been threaded into her veins. Slowly closing her hand around the weapon she looked for the right time to strike. The pink alien barred her teeth at Sam again and made a throaty purr that reminded her of a dinosaur in a movie just before it decided to eviscerate some hapless tourist.

"Renta gek's nu..."

The alien was cut off as Sam lashed out with the long needle and plunged it into her pink skin just above the what Sam assumed was the alien's collar bone. The green alien standing next to her cried out in shock and snatched Sam's wrists. Leaning back Sam kicked the green alien in the stomach, forcing him to release her.

Sam scrambled down off the table and went to bolt for the door despite the fact that the other three were looking more ready for a fight. One of them had what looked to Sam like an elongated pain stick with a wire loop on the end of it. Before she got a chance to tangle with the others there was a hand on her shoulder.

Whipping around Sam tore herself free. The dragon in the room with the loop was quick and used the distraction to get the wire around Sam's throat. She brought her fingers up in time to grip the wire, but when he pulled it tight she ended her with her hands trapped between it and her skin. Shaking with a combination of exhaustion and adrenaline Sam was easily brought to her knees.

The pink alien had pulled the needle out of her shoulder and was bleeding a bright blue fluid. Despite the wound she knelt down in front of Sam and reached out to take her trapped wrists. Enraged by the ease at which she'd been subdued Sam jerked forward and snapped at the alien. She managed to get her teeth into the space between the alien's medial side thumb and index finger. Although unable to pierce the reptile's thick skin Sam was rewarded by the feel of a delicate bone snapping between her teeth.

The pink dragon cried out in pain and jerked away. The green alien had retrieved a weapon that looked a lot like a fancy rifle. He aimed it at Sam's heart and pulled the trigger. The pink alien had caught the motion out of the corner of her eye and grabbed the weapon at the last minute. The ceiling suddenly showered sparked down on them as the weapon's blast burned into it.

The green alien started shouting and yelling and the pink one hissed at him in return. They fought for a full minute before he rolled his eyes and backed down. Holding her injured hand close to her chest the pink alien turned and looked at Sam again. Panting heavily for breath Sam was trembling, nothing of what was happening made any sense to her.

"Dali." The pink alien said softly.

"I don't understand...please just let me go."

The pink dragon held her injured hand out and someone out of Sam's view handed her a short stick that held a needle on the end of it. Sam fought to get back to her feet but the alien jabbed her in the thigh with the sharp needle. There was a sudden burning that raced up her leg towards her heart, taking her ability to move with it. As she fell back to the floor the wire around her neck was loosened enough for her to free her hands.

"Colonel!" Sam cried out desperately. "Help me! Sir!"

Battling the drug that was spreading over her Sam tried to get back to her feet. The pink alien knelt down next to her and pressed down on Sam's chest to keep her on the floor while the drug slowly took affect. When the blood in her heart started to boil the edges of her vision began to go dark. Sam fought harder to keep a hold of her consciousness but she knew it was pointless. She thrashed as even breathing became difficult.

"_**Jack!!**_"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Eat to live, don't live to eat."

Jack chuckled to himself as the pale blue alien stared at him through the bars and then purred. This particular young looking dragon had become a regular visitor, and always brought something new for Jack to try. After seeing that Sam was still alive, albeit not in great shape, Jack had decided that letting himself starve to death was no longer an option. Ever since they noticed his affinity for cooked foods they'd been getting more creative and Jack had the feeling that this was the local chef.

"Some famous guy said that...at least I think he was famous." Jack continued. "Anyway, I have to admit that you do have some culinary skill."

When the alien tilted his head to the side in confusion Jack rolled his eyes and just returned to his place in the corner. The alien reached through the bars and retrieved the empty plate once Jack was a safe distance away. He'd had gotten used to this treatment and it barely even bothered him any more.

Jack was just starting to contemplate getting up to do some good old fashion pacing for lack of anything else to do when the pink alien arrived. Jumping up to his feet and rushed over to the bars. Once he demonstrated that he was willing to eat on his own after seeing Sam they'd been allowing him to see her every couple of days for a few minutes. She had stopped fighting her restraints and had taken on a more meditative quality about her. He could only assume it was an improvement.

The pink dragon looked at him and forced a tight lipped smile. Jack couldn't believe it, but he'd actually grown slightly attached to her. She seemed to genuinely want to help him and his hope was that once Sam was healthy that they'd be released if they could prove they weren't dangerous.

"Tek ta."

"Good morning to you too, haven't seen you in a few days. I hope that means you've been busy with Carter and maybe we can get her out of that tank soon, she's is looking so much better." Jack said with a smile. "Although she kinda had that 'the next living thing I get my hands on is going to die' look about her last time. If I were you I'd let me be there when you let her out."

After looking around the pink alien returned nervous eyes to Jack and tapped on her chest.

"Ser'in."

"Is that your name?" Jack asked in shock. "Ser'in?"

"Ser'in." She repeated and tapped again.

"Ser'in." Jack smiled and tapped on his own chest. "Jack."

"Jaa'ck."

"Close enough. I don't understand. I've tried to tell you my name like a hundred times, what's with the sudden interest?"

Ser'in cast her eyes down at the floor. Following her line of sight Jack noticed her braced hand for the first time. He reached through the bars and gently touched her arm.

"What happened to your hand, Ser'in? Some untamed animal finally bite you?" Jack smiled at first, but then his mirth faded away. "Wait...did Carter do that to you? You didn't hurt her, did you? She would have only been trying to defend herself. Is she okay?"

"Jaa'ck..."

"No, I don't want to hear it, I don't understand you and you know that." Jack hissed in sudden anger. "You _know_ we're intelligent beings! Why are we still being treated like animals? You are the only one who is even trying to communicate with me, why? What is your kind so afraid of?!"

Ser'in took a step back in fear of Jack's vocal outburst. Reaching up he gripped the bars and glared at her angrily.

"Take me to her or I swear I will give your race something to fear."

For a long moment Ser'in just returned his stare blankly. When she did move again she pulled a small device out of her pocket and started taking into it. Putting it away she waited for something. Eventually the green alien that had tried to kill Sam came down the hall. Even without knowing what he'd done Jack wasn't fond of this one, he always had air of superiority about him.

"Tell this guy who I am." Jack demanded. "Tell him I'm just as 'good' as he is. Tell him, Ser'in."

The green alien jolted in shock at hearing Jack use the name and Ser'in instantly cowered from him and launched into an explanation. They started to argue heatedly. It came to a point where they had actually began to draw a small crowd. As they continued the debate Ser'in pointed at Jack and she started to cry.

The passionate display seemed to affect the green alien more than her arguments. He sighed heavily and looked over at Jack with an unreadable expression. Not knowing what else to do Jack got down on his knees and laced his fingers together in front of his chest. The green alien furrowed his brow, but remained silent.

"Does this mean anything to your kind?" Jack asked desperately. "This is called 'begging' and I'll have you know that I am not a man who begs. But I am begging you to let me see Carter."

"Va'lo, fa'ris..." Ser'in pleaded.

"Yeah, what she said. 'Fa'ris'. Does that mean 'please'? Are you Va'lo? Va'lo, _fa'ris_."

Jack could see the sudden defeat in Va'lo's eyes. He pinched at the wide bridge of his nose and muttered something that caused Ser'in to wrap her arms around him and lick up the side of his face. He pushed her away and growled what sounded like a warning. Looking up at the others who had been watching the exchange he repeated the warning to them as well.

Jack got to his feet as everyone left except Ser'in and two other that were armed with what Jack could only assume were guns. When she opened the bars he instantly put his wrists together, but she just reached out and took his hand with her uninjured one. Jack smiled.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

Fearing the worst, but still hopping for the best Jack followed Ser'in through the halls. They certainly weren't on their way to the room that held the tank. When they reached a room that was lined with various sized kennel like cages Jack's eyes instantly fell on the delicate arm that was dangling as if lifeless out of one the elevated barred doors.

"Carter!"

Pulling away from Ser'in Jack rushed across the room. Taking Sam's hand in his Jack instantly pressed his fingers against her wrist to check for a pulse. Her heartbeat was weak, but steady. The large cage she was laying in was up at about waist height. It was not high enough to allow her to stand up if she tried. However it was clear that she hadn't been trying, she was out cold.

Wrapped up in a mass of soft blankets she looked to Jack like he could just reach through the bars and wake her. He was about to try just when Ser'in came over and made an offer that sounded like she wanted to open the door for him. Jack carefully placed Sam's arm back into the cage so that the door could be opened.

Ser'in smiled and tapped a code into the small display panel. Jack watched her intently, memorizing the combination of lights she touched. When the bars slid away Jack opted to just join Sam, thinking it might make the aliens more comfortable about leaving him there. There was just enough room for him to sit up once inside.

Jack didn't even notice the bars being put back in place. He was kneeling on Sam's far side, suddenly afraid to wake her. She looked so peaceful, and after everything that had happed she certainly deserved that peace. Eventually he couldn't keep himself from touching her.

Reaching out Jack gently brushed her cheek and then jerked back in alarm. He put his hand down on her forehead. His blood turned to ice. Jack looked through the bars at Ser'in who was watching them with a look of sorrow.

"Why is her skin still so hot?"

"Dali."

Jack knew what the single word meant. 'Sorry'. From the look on the pink dragon's face he could see that clearly they felt like they had done everything they knew how to for her. The rest would be up to Sam. Ser'in went to unlock the cage again but Jack grabbed her slender wrist to stop her.

"No. I'm staying with her."

Ser'in thought about this for a moment and then simply backed away. Once the aliens were gone Jack turned his attention back to Sam. He ran his hands through her hair that was also heated from the persistent fever. She reacted to his touch with a quiet moan and a feeble attempt to get away from him.

"Easy, Samantha." Jack said softly.

Fighting for consciousness Sam clawed at the blankets and tried to open her eyes. Jack slipped his hand under her head to protect her as she arched her back. Sam managed to flutter her eye lids open for a moment, but her eyes were rolled back. Filling her lungs she cried out in a tired voice that held a sharp edge of fear.

"I know, this has been a rough ride," Jack agreed "but the worst is over."

Gathering Sam up in his arms, blankets and all, Jack leaned against the back wall and cradled her tightly to his chest. Instinctively seeking shelter Sam buried her face in Jack's shirt. He rested his chin lightly on her head to increase their contact. She was trembling, but it was imposable for him to tell if it was from fever or stress.

Sam seemed to be stuck in between sleep and the waking world. She responded to Jack's touch, pressing herself harder against him. However none of her motions seemed to be from true conscious effort. Her hand was suddenly on his waist and she dug her fingers into his skin. Jack allowed the painful grip, she could hold on to him to the point of blood for all he cared. All that mattered to him right now was the fact that she was back in his arms.

When Sam's breathing started getting shallow Jack closed his eyes and silently willed her to calm. Stroking her hair he kept his own breathing slow and exaggerated. Sam slowly began to match his rhythm and released the death grip she had on his flesh. Soon she began to settle into a more natural sleep.

Jack worried about the heat that was radiating off her skin and wondered if it would be best to remove the thick blanket. Deciding that breaking her fever was the most important thing he began to pull the blanket away. Laying her down for a moment he rearranged everything so that they could just lay down on the soft blankets.

It took some doing but eventually he was able to get her comfortable on her back on top of the thick blankets. He laid down on his side next to her and propped himself up on his elbow so he could watch her. Jack brushed her hair away from her forehead and leaned in to kiss her cheek gently.

Sam sighed and a smile flickered across her features. In an attempt to bring her closer to the surface Jack traced his fingertips over her face and the slender curve of her exposed throat. He furrowed his brow as he noticed the thin bruise that encircled her neck. He knew exactly what had caused it and he ground his teeth in a flash of anger.

To Jack's surprise his sudden loss of temper affected Sam. She tensed in fear as though she could sense a near by threat. Jack forced himself to calm down and after a long delay Sam relaxed once again. He brought his hand up and cupped her delicate jaw. Staring at her his vision blurred with tears.

"If you were awake I'd tell you how beautiful you are...court-martial be damned."

Jack leaned in again and kissed her cheek, his lips barely touching her skin. Sam's hand was laying across her stomach and sudden it started seeking as though it had a life of its own. Jack released her jaw and slipped his hand into her fingers. She closed her hand around his and held on firmly. When she started to try and break through her fever again Jack blew a cooling breath across her face.

Sam turned towards the source of the soft breath. Jack's heart raced as she fluttered her eyes open and stared up at him. A bright smile spread across his face as he saw recognition slowly light up her clear eyes. Sam brought her free hand up and touched Jack's cheek as if trying to determine if he was actually there.

"Colonel..."

"Not at the moment, just 'Jack'."

Sam actually laughed at this. It was an awkward and weak sound, but it was accompanied by the coy smile Jack loved so much. The moment of levity only lasted for a moment. Her hand against his face began to tremble and her laughter quickly turned to tears. At first she tried to stop, but the current of conflicting emotions of relief and lingering terror seized control. She turned her face away from him, even in the extreme conditions she didn't seem to want him seeing her cry.

Sitting back up Jack pulled her against his chest again and gave her a place to hide her tears. Jack rubbed up and down the length of her back to comfort her. Sam gripped his shirt and broke into cathartic weeping. Jack held her tighter and closed his eyes against his own tears. He couldn't even decide if he was crying because she was still so close to slipping away from him again, if it was for the joy of just being able to hold her at least one last time, or if it was simply pure relief at the fact that they had a chance of actually surviving this together.

Sam switched her grip from holding on to Jack's shirt to wrapping her arms around his waist in a tangled embrace. Anyone determined to separate the pair now would be forced to kill them both because it wasn't going to happen any other way. She kept her hold on him long after she'd shed her last tear.

Jack had spent days thinking of everything he would say to her if he was just given the chance. However, now that she was here it seemed like try to tell her anything with words would be counterproductive and futile. It wasn't needed anyway, their bond had been beyond words years ago, actually right from the very beginning when he thought about it.

Taking a deep breath Jack was just starting to feeling like he could sleep for days when Sam suddenly pushed herself away from him. She twisted around and pitched forward onto her hands before being thrown into a fit of violent dry heaving. Jack reached under her and put his palm against her stomach.

When she started to slowly collapse Jack was there to help her lay down once again. The strong contractions sapped Sam of all her strength, but only ended when she passed out. Jack moved her onto her back and checked her pulse. Her heart was strong, it was the spiking fever that was killing her.

Jack looked around desperately for anything that could help. Across the room was a set of cabinets. Reaching through the bars Jack closed his eyes and focused on his memory of Ser'in opening the door. He could feel the panel under his fingers, but had to rely on memory as to where the colours were.

It took three tries before the bars slid away. Jack had been supporting himself on them and suddenly caught off guard he fell out of the cage and hit the floor. Getting to his feet he didn't bother to wait and see if anyone had heard his fall. Rushing over to the cabinets he opened them and started riffling through the random stuff inside.

"There has to be something here." Jack growled.

Looking up on the top most shelf Jack spotted a couple of hand sized blue stones. He recalled Ser'in using something very similar against his skin. Pushing himself up on his tip toes he grabbed one. It had an odd constancy, like a fluffy gel. Grabbing a metal bowl he went over to the sink and spent a moment before realizing that it worked off a foot pedal. Once the sponge like substance was wet it instantly cooled.

Having what he felt was the best tool for the job Jack ran back over to the cage and crawled back in. He didn't touch the panel, but after he stepped inside the bars slowly slid back into place. Jack didn't care, it didn't matter, he wasn't leaving without Sam and she was in no condition to go anywhere.

Placing the bowl of water on the floor Jack started to rub the cold blue device over her super heated skin. Sam moaned and tried to pull away from the icy contact even though she remained locked in sleep. Jack spent an hour trying to remove the excess heat before he felt that her temperature was slowly normalizing.

Exhausted to the point of collapse Jack placed the cooling gel under Sam's neck and was forced to lay down. Fighting to keep his eyes open Jack laid on his side next to Sam and gently brushed at her cheek. Sam twitched in her unnatural sleep and fought several times to open her eyes. Jack smiled sadly and put his arm over her protectively.

"Come on, Samantha. I know I told you before to just let go, but I didn't mean it. Fight this...come back to me."


	9. Chapter 9

NOTE from the Phoenix: The painting is finished, and is one my homepage, but since I decided to leave her naked (her body came out so beautifully that I couldn't bear to cover it) you'll need to sign into DA to see it. If you are a member of Stargate Intel or Chevron One it is posted there as well. Enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Sam woke with a start and froze solid. Laying on her back, something she had grown used to, she had her head turned to the side. Her keen eyes scanned the scene while her mind tried to piece together her chaotic memories. The silver bars of the cage took up most of her attention and for a moment all she wanted to do was throw herself against them in a desperate bid for freedom. However a mix of physical and mental exhaustion kept her still.

When she was able to take her focus off the bars she could see rows of other cages. Some of them were empty others held animals. Some of the animals were almost recognizable, others were so alien that it was difficult to categorize them as being either mammal, reptile or bird. There was a line of cabinets that looked like someone had torn through them. The instruments and packages on the floor looked out of place in the sterile environment.

A sudden hot breath sighing across the back of Sam's neck caused her to jerk violently. With her heart racing she struggled to understand what was going on. The wash of warm air repeated itself in a slow steady rhythm. Slowly recalling that she hadn't been alone the last time she'd woken Sam brought her hand to the slight pressure pushing down on her stomach and found a strong hand resting there.

Sam closed her eyes and took a few minutes to gather her courage. She turned her face towards the gentle breathing and opened her eyes. An immense sense of relief washed over her when she found Jack sleeping soundly next to her. She had worried that the reunion had been a delusion and feared to know who's clutches she'd been sleeping in.

Slipping her hand into Jack's she smiled as he automatically gripped down on her fingers. Taking a deep breath she instantly noticed that the air didn't lance into her lungs the way it had before. With the fever broken the air in the room didn't seem so cold in comparison to her body temperature. Experimenting with movement Sam managed to roll over on her side facing Jack.

Locked in sleep he looked peaceful. Although his weight loss was still apparent he looked healthy. He had been sleeping on his side but now he rolled over onto his back. Sam's eye caught the scar at his temple where one of the aliens had hit him with a rock. Reaching up she delicately touched the white mark. It helped her realize that her memories were real.

"Assuming this is."

Sam was shocked by how hollow and faint her voice sounded. Bringing her hand away from Jack's face she noticed the teal coloured symbols that had been burned into his skin when he'd first arrived. Furrowing her brow Sam began to trace out the eight strange symbols. They felt no different that the surrounding skin, like a tattoo.

Coming to Jack's collar bone Sam discovered the chain he wore. She hooked her finger into his shirt and pulled out his dog tags along with her own, and the choke collar. Finding herself beginning to tremble again Sam tucked all the necklaces back into his shirt. Sam didn't know what to do next, she wanted to wake him, to start a plan of how they were going to get out of here. At the same time she was still so weak and tired.

Sam blood started to run cold as a panic attack needled into her veins. It was not an emotion that she was overly familiar with and it angered her to have butterflies bumping into each other in her stomach when there didn't seem to be an immediate danger. With ever second that passed the unpleasant sensations intensified until she felt herself on the edge of tears again.

Seeking comfort Sam worked her way under Jack's arm and rested her head on his chest. Jack's powerful heartbeat was an incredibly soothing sound. Listening to his heart helped Sam as she once again tried to moor herself to reality. She had been drifting in and out of dreams and nightmares for so long that knowing the difference between asleep and awake had become difficult.

Sam snaked her arm over Jack's stomach and held on to him as tightly as her weakened muscles would allow. Closing her eyes she decided that she was just going to enjoy this moment. The steady thumping of Jack's heart and the rushing sound of him breathing easily eased Sam's tension. She hadn't even noticed that her every muscle had been pulled tight until they started to relax.

As she laid curled up next to Jack the realization that she no longer had to fight this battle alone slowly sunk into Sam's mind. The man she'd trusted her life to time and time again was here with her now and that meant that they had a chance. Even if they didn't survive she no longer had to worry about what was happening to him, she didn't have to worry that he was frightened for her. Having that burden lifted from her shoulders Sam settled in and concentrated on nothing more than Jack's warm body against hers.

A few times Sam almost slipped into sleep, but she fought to stay awake. She was afraid that everything would change back if she fell asleep and she'd wake in the suffocating liquid once again. Instead she stayed awake by nuzzling against Jack every time she felt herself starting to fade. It was hours before Jack stirred. When he did he automatically reached up and stroked Sam's hair.

"How are you feeling?"

"Terrified."

"Post traumatic stress disorder." Jack smiled.

"'Post traumatic'?" Sam repeated. "I don't know about you, but I'm still in the middle of being traumatized."

"It's going to be okay, I've been making friends."

"What do they want?"

"I'm not sure they want anything. As far as I can tell we've just been taken from one zoo to another."

"And you're okay with that?" Sam asked incredulously. "I...I never thought I'd see this day."

"What day?"

"The day that someone domesticated the wild Colonel Jack O'Neill."

"'Domesticated'...ouch." Jack chuckled. "I'm certainly not thrilled about being 'caged', however, right now all I care about is that I have you back and we are somewhere that you can regain your strength. You just concentrate on getting healthy, we'll work on the rest later."

"Do you really think we'll ever manage to get back home? We have no idea where we are, no idea where the Stargate is, no means of defendi..."

"Carter," Jack interrupted "what did I just say?"

"Something about health."

"Exactly."

"But..."

"Carter that's an or..." Jack stopped himself. "I guess I can't give you orders anymore, can I?"

"You can, but it means we'd have to go back to the way things were before."

"I don't think I'd survive that." Jack said seriously.

"So if we do get home..."

Sam left the sentence open. Jack reached into his shirt and pulled out all the metal around his neck. Finding his own dog tags he pulled them off and with a little work he placed them around Sam's neck. Rolling over onto his side to face Sam he drew her into a deep kiss. When he pulled away he stared at her with a mischievous smile.

"As of this moment I officially retire...again."

"What took you so long?" Sam teased.

"Truthfully, I always felt that you deserved better than me."

"I don't think it would be possible for me to find 'better'."

"Well of course not..." Jack said casually "I'm physically the only human male on the planet."

Sam smiled and Jack couldn't help but steal another kiss. Afterward Sam closed her eyes and nuzzled against him once again. The short conversation had sapped most of her strength. Jack held her tight and sighed contently. He really did seem to be absolutely fearless and it helped take the edge off her own nerves.

"Tired?"

"Yes."

Jack wrapped his arms around Sam's waist and rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. Laying on his chest Sam was given a chance to be a position other than on her back. She appreciated it and made herself comfortable. Jack reached up and rubbed at the small of her back. Sam made a quiet noise of appreciation and quickly fell asleep.

When Sam woke again she blinked against a brighter light than she was used to. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and moaned pitifully. Her belly felt uncomfortably distended and more than a little nauseous. Another hand suddenly joined hers and she looked up at Jack.

"It's called 'food', you'll get used to it again."

"Wha...what? What's going on?"

"You just slept through about half an hour of medical treatment, you had me worried again."

Sam weld her eyes shut and groaned against the general malaise she felt. Reaching up to rub her eyes Sam jerked back when metal touched her face. Snapping her eyes back open she stared at the mental chains around her wrists. Clawing at her neck she found one around her throat as well.

"Take it easy, it's alright. I tried to ask them not to do that, but I think it's some sort of protocol around here."

"Tried to ask them? You were with me?"

"Ser'in was nice enough to allow me to hold you the whole time."

"Ser'in?"

"I told you I was making friends." Jack reached out and ran his fingertips down the side of Sam's neck where new set of teal symbols lay. "Do I have a tattoo here?"

Sam nodded.

"It's beautiful on you, very delicate. I bet it looks silly on me though."

"It is certainly not something I would associate with you getting on your own free will."

"I wouldn't wear this outfit if I had my choice either." Jack smiled.

Sam tried to smile as well, but she couldn't manage to fake a mirth she didn't feel. Struggling a bit to turn her head she caught sight of more bars. They filled her with painful memories of dying slowly forcing her to turn away again. Looking up she saw the white ceiling was a good eight or nine feet away. They had been moved out of the small cage and back into the cell that Jack had been calling home. Sam looked up at Jack, his chain collar was resting outside his shirt and his tattoo was clearly visible.

"Sir...er...Jack, if these aliens are just trying to help us...why have we been tagged and collared?"

"I've been thinking about that. What would we do if we came across an alien on Earth and we had no idea where they were from and they couldn't tell us? Particularly if we were unsure of their level of intelligence. Would we just let it roam our planet?"

"No." Sam admitted.

"I honestly don't think they know what to do with us. I'm just grateful that they know enough about 'alien' life to not be completely shocked and want to dissect us or something."

"Maybe they think they learn more from us alive."

"If they think I hold some great secret they haven't been trying to get it out of me." Jack smiled.

"Thank you." Sam said suddenly.

"For what?"

"Being so calm about all this. I'm still overwhelmed by the idea that we might never get home."

"One step at a time, Carter. We need you healthy."

Sam just nodded and closed her eyes again. Once again she felt tired, like someone had replaced her blood with lead, making her heavy and every motion difficult. She had been laying with her head resting on Jack's lap, but now he carefully moved her as he got up. Jack pulled on the blankets that she was laying on to pull her a few feet away from the wall.

"What are you doing?"

"Something I learned from Janet during one of Daniel's many comas." Jack replied. "Just relax."

Closing her eyes Sam surrendered to whatever treatment Jack had planned. Sitting down next to her he took her wrist in a gentle grip. Supporting her at the elbow as well Jack slowly moved her arm through its full range of motions a few times. She tried to help him move the limb at first but he insisted that she just relax completely.

When he was done moving her arm he took her hand in both of his and started massaging the sore muscles, starting at the fingertips and moving towards her shoulder. As he moved up her arm Sam sighed in contentment and relaxed even further. Jack repeated the process on her other arm. Moving down to her foot he brought her knee up to her chest and held it in a soft stretch. Sam arched into the stretch, enjoying the soothing strain.

The arches of Sam's feet hadn't supported her weight for more than a few seconds in months so when Jack pressed his thumbs into the soft tissue Sam couldn't help the deep moan. Jack smiled and continued the therapeutic massage. His touch didn't hold a hint of hesitation or uncertainly despite the fact that it was the first time he'd truly touched her in such an intimate fashion.

Sam didn't feel uneasy about it either, which came as a surprise to her. She had expected to feel that same tension that teenagers get when they realize that they want a friend to suddenly be something more. Instead it felt more natural to be handled by him than by anyone else who had ever touched her. She decided that it was intension that made all the difference. Jack wasn't trying coax her into sex, he was just trying to make her feel better without personal gain or expecting any favors in return. It was a completely selfless act that only served to strengthen the bond they had been developing for years.

Putting her leg down Jack switched positions so that he could rub at her temples. Jack moved her head to one side and then the other to help with the stretch. Slipping down to her shoulders he worked the tension out of the taunt muscles that connected from the back of her ear to her shoulder blades. Sam opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Is this getting some blood moving?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Anytime. Of course Daniel didn't get quite this kind of treatment." Jack purred. "Don't tell him that though, wouldn't want him getting jealous."

"Do you think Daniel and Teal'c are alive?" Sam asked quietly.

"If Daniel was dead he would have visited us by now and Teal'c...well I'm not so sure he can be killed." Jack teased. "I'm sure they're fine."

"I hope so."

Jack smiled reassuringly, however Sam could see some doubt in his eyes. Their original capture had been chaotic, but until everything went black for her Daniel and Teal'c had been right there with them. She had woken in a small wooden crate and when she'd called out Jack was the only one who had ever answered. So either they had decided not to take the other two or they had been sold to someone else.

"What happened that night?"

Sam had just been musing out loud, but Jack seemed to take it as a direct question. She could feel his hands on her neck suddenly tense. She looked up at him and saw that his previous optimistic mood had faded.

"Sir?"

"I'm sorry, Carter. It's my fault we're here. When you were hit by that tranquillizer and fell behind I ordered Daniel and Teal'c to continue on to the Gate to open and secure it, and that I'd take care of you. But it was a selfish choice, I should have had Teal'c carry you, he's stronger. I wasn't fast enough while trying to move you and they got us both."

"You can't know that Teal'c would have done any better."

"We both know that Teal'c's strength lays in strength. I should have sent him to get you and I should have stayed with Daniel."

"You may have saved Teal'c life. If he had been here with me instead of you he wouldn't last more than two weeks without the Tretonin. And honestly...I wouldn't have lived this long either."

Jack flashed Sam a more genuine smile and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. In that moment Sam could feel that Jack knew he was forgiven. Jack looked down on Sam and brushed her cheek. Sam saw the scars on his forearm and recalled that it was more than his moral support that had kept her going. As much as she had hated it he had give up his own health to keep her alive with the gory meals.

"Carter?"

"I'd like to sit up for a while."

"Good idea."

Sam was frustrated by how much help she needed with the simple task of sitting up. She had only been able to stand and fight the aliens after being released from the tank by the force of pure adrenaline. Jack sat with his back to the wall and let Sam sit between his leg so that she could lean back on his chest. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from falling to either side as she was stuck by some dizziness.

When the vertigo passed Sam looked up and jerked in fright. The pink alien that had greeted her when she'd first woken was sitting on the far side of the bars. She had a small square device with a series of flickering lights on it in her hands that she held up facing them. Noticing she'd been caught the pink dragon pulled her lips over her teeth.

"It's okay, Samantha, that's Ser'in."

"How long has she been sitting there?"

"About an hour."

"What is she doing?"

"I think she's recording how we interact."

"What? Why?"

"If I know her at all she's trying to help us."

"H...how?"

"By trying to prove to others that we're more than just animals."

"Technically we are animals."

"Yes, but we're animals capable of and in love...and that makes us special."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Oh...that _is_ good."

"I thought you might like that."

"Mmmm...I do."

"You're making a mess."

Jack chuckled as Sam worked to keep the bright purple fruit juice from running off her chin.  The unusual fruit was amazingly tasty, but also very difficult to eat without the sticky juice getting everywhere.  Hearing Jack laugh at her just made Sam smile which in turn made the juice situation more dire.  Sam rubbed the back of her hand across her face, staining them both.  

"Just rub it off on your shirt, they'll give you a new one."

"Using my shirt as a napkin isn't very civilized."

"Neither is having me lick you clean, the choice is yours."

"As tempting an offer as that may seem..."

Sam smiled and reached out to take a hold of the corner of Jack's shirt, leaving him with the purple stain instead.  

"Hey!"  

"It was your idea."  Sam teased.

"Good point."

It had only been three days since their reunion but Sam had already improved drastically.  Although there hadn't been enough time for any dramatic weight gain her every motion had more control and power to it.  She was also able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time.  Jack watched her try to tackle another piece of the juicy fruit and this time before she had a chance to wipe it off on his shirt he moved in for a sticky kiss.  

After sharing the sweet kiss Sam laughed and pushed him away playfully.  Laying back in the grass she stared up at the dark blue sky.  They were sitting in the small garden with the high walls that Jack had already proven he could sneak out of.  Although he did notice that the branch he had used was missing.  Looking around he saw at least three more weak points to the 'prison's' defenses.  

However, Jack had no interest in leaving right now.  Sam still wasn't strong enough to be on the run.  At this point in time he seriously doubted that she'd even be able to scale the tree.  So instead of planing an escape they just enjoyed the fresh air and warm sunshine.  Sam had been nervous at first when Ser'in came to lead them away, but she was slowly coming to trust the pink dragon.

When Sam brought one of her legs up to her chest to stretch Jack moved in to help.  Her greatest obstacle to her mobility was how tight her ligaments and muscles had become over the months of starvation and inactivity.  Sam let go of her leg and peacefully allowed Jack to do the stretch for her.  He watched her face carefully for that moment when he'd gone a fraction of an inch too far and would back off slightly.  When he was done with both legs Sam sat up and held her hands out.

"Ready for a walk?"

"I think so."  Sam replied.

Jack took Sam's hands and helped her up to her feet.  Her breath hissed across her teeth as her joints took on her weight.  Jack had to wonder if the weeks spent free of gravity in the tank were to blame for the pain she felt now.  However, it was getting better.  Two days ago she had been all but unable to support her self, now she could walk on her own.  Jack still stayed at her side to catch her if she went to fall.  Losing her balance was a serious danger.  

With one hand against her lower back and the other at her elbow Sam and Jack walked slowly around the confines of the garden.  She was more confident in her steps outdoors because the soft ground offered a better place to fall than the stone floor of their cell.  Eventually Sam's step faltered but Jack kept her from collapsing.  She put all her weight on him for a moment.

"Do we need to stop?"  

"No, I want to make it around the garden twice today."

"That's probably three times as far as you've ever made it."

"...and?"

"Nothing.  Just making a pointless observation."  Jack smiled.  "Let's go."

Sam was panting heavily for breath by the time they made the second circuit around the lush garden.  Jack helped her sit down in the grass and joined her.  Sweat rolled off her skin, but she was smiling brightly in triumph.  Jack pulled her into a hug and she rested against his chest for a moment while she caught her breath.  

The pair both startled as there was a sudden disturbance coming from the doorway that lead back inside.  Jack listened to the now familiar voices of Ser'in and Va'lo as they engaged in another bitter argument.  When Va'lo stormed into the garden with what looked like a rifle in his hands Jack jumped up and gathered Sam up in his arms so he could move them both up against the far wall.  Jack set Sam down and sat down between her and the others as they approached.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know, these two don't get along."

"The green one tried to kill me."

"What?"  Jack asked shocked.

"When I first woke up I attacked Ser'in and once they had me under control he stepped up to shoot me.  Ser'in stopped him."

"Hopefully she can do it again."

Ser'in did look like she had another tough job on her hands.  Va'lo was furious and was snarling and shouting at her.  Ser'in rushed ahead and stood between Jack and Va'lo with her hand up in a pacifying manner even though she continued to argue and yell.  Va'lo pointed up at the railing and snarled again.  

"I think I know what this is about."  Jack sighed.  "I escaped out of here before.  Va'lo is afraid I'm going to do it again."   

"He has a point then."

"Ser'in knows I'm not going anywhere without you and that you're in no shape to get out of here."

"Va'lo doesn't look convinced."

Sam was right he was still yelling and barking at Ser'in.  She pointed at Sam and growled right back at him.  Va'lo looked Sam over doubtfully and then lifted up Ser'in's injured wrist.  Ser'in pulled her hand away and snapped something defensively.  Va'lo wasn't impressed.  

"What do we do?"  Sam asked.

"Just stay still.  Va'lo thinks we're dangerous, Ser'in usually convinces him otherwise."

"She really trusts you, doesn't she?"

"So far."  Jack smiled.  "If anyone can get us home, it's her."

"You said you've learned a few words?"

"Uh...yeah, 'Gala' I think means 'thanks' and 'Dali' seems to mean 'sorry', um...'far..."

"Perfect."  Sam interrupted.

Sam pushed Jack to one side and got up onto her knees.  

"Ser'in?"  Sam called.  

Va'lo was once again shocked, or possibly just disgusted that Ser'in's name had been used.  Ser'in turned away from Va'lo and looked at Sam.  Raising up her own hand that corresponded to Ser'in's injured one Sam smiled sadly.

"Dali.  Ser'in, dali."  Sam said sincerely.  

Ser'in's blue eyes dilated and she made a low pitched growl.  At first Sam thought she'd said something wrong.  However after her natural reaction Ser'in bared her teeth in a broad smile.  Turning back on Va'lo she hissed at him.  Va'lo snarled something that sounded like an insult and stormed off.  

"That was brilliant, Carter."

"I really am sorry for hurting her.  I didn't know she was trying to help."

"I'm sure she knows that."

Ser'in watched Va'lo leave with a suspicious look on her reptilian face.  She turned back to Jack and Sam and sighed heavily.  She made a beckoning motion and Jack got to his feet.  Before Sam could ask for help to her feet Jack gathered her up and lifted her off the ground to carry her.  After her earlier walk she really wasn't ready to go anywhere on her own yet.  

Jack followed Ser'in back inside and to the cell.  When she slid the bars closed she launched into another speech.  Jack sat down with his back against the far wall with Sam still in his arms and they just listened to her.  After a few minutes tears spilled from Ser'in's eyes and she hurried away.  

"I'm starting to feel sorry for her."  Sam sighed.

"Yeah, I think she's the only one who wants to believe in us."

"That makes sense.  I mean we know nothing about these aliens.  For all we know they've had dealings with humans before that didn't turn out so well."

"We can be a violent bunch."

"Especially against things we don't understand.  It might even be as complicated as us being intelligent might be messing with a religious view.  Having truly intelligent aliens out there kind of puts a damper on 'God creating the Universe for man and creating man in his image'.  What if us being capable of thought, logic, and love spoils their image of God?"

"Isn't that what we do for a living?"  Jack asked with a  smile.  "Traipse around the galaxy bringing down gods?"

"Yes, but in this case we may be bringing down a 'real' one, not just a Goa'uld enslaving through false pretense, but an actual belief system."

"I didn't think of that."

"Personally I don't think that most of the people on Earth would take well to the idea of a life forms in the galaxy just as or more intelligent than ourselves, particularly one that looks so different from us."

"The Asgard even kinda creep me out, and I know they're good guys."

"And you're not religious."

"All good points."  Jack nodded.  "I'm pleased to see that mind of your's is starting to work on overdrive again."

"Of course none of this helps us get home."  sam sulked.

"Maybe it does, perhaps rather than keep us here they'll take us to the Stargate so we can go away and they won't have to deal with any religious failings."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just kill us?"

"Let's hope their sense of ethics is above that."

Sam looked at Jack doubtfully.   He smiled at her in return and held her closer.  Feeling tired once again Sam started to nod off.  Jack noticed how her level of consciousness seemed to be like an on/off switch these days.  There seemed to be no stage where she would get tired, she would just suddenly be unable to stay awake.  

Feeling drained himself Jack laid Sam down and curled up with her on the thick blankets.  They were woken for dinner, but afterwards they both quickly fell back asleep.  They were both sleeping three times longer than they had on Earth, but that was mostly due to their body's need for the time to restore.  Every time Jack woke up he felt a little more back to normal.

When the next morning did come it was no exception.  Jack woke and stretched out, feeling hungry, which he took as a good sign.  Sam seemed to have already been awake and she rolled over to attack him as soon as he moved.  Jack didn't mind and enjoyed the passionate show of affection.  

"Today's the fourth day."  Jack said suddenly.

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, every four days they do a medical run down, take weight, any injections they feel like giving, general 'look over'."

"Uh...okay."

"I just didn't want you to be surprised whe..."

Jack stopped as Va'lo and four others walked up to the far side of the bars.  Jack couldn't remember a time when Ser'in hadn't been there for a medical day.  He didn't see her everyday, he assumed she had days off as well, but this was the first time she had been missing for this routine.  Va'lo had also come before breakfast, which was also unusual.  

"Sir?"  Sam still wasn't out of the habit of the respectful greeting.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."  Jack lied.  "I told you they'd come."

Jack tried to hide his apprehension, but he failed.  Va'lo came up to the bars with an expressionless face.  He glanced over Jack and Sam before reaching out and tapping on the bars.  When they didn't move he pointed at Sam and beckoned her closer before tapping on the bars again.

"What does he want?"

"He wants you to put your hands through the bars."

"Should I?"

"...yes."  Jack answered after hesitating.

"No real choice, is there?"

"No, not really."  Jack admitted.  "Just don't do anything to give him cause to hurt you and he won't."

Jack got to his feet and helped Sam do the same.  He walked over to Va'lo and laced his hands through the bars.  Sam followed his lead confidently.  Jack grit his teeth together as Va'lo locked his wrists together and snapped a short chain leash on his collar.  Sam took the indignity a little better, but not by much.  Ser'in never bothered with this precaution any more so it wasn't something Sam was used to.  

When only enough bars slid down to allow Sam to step out Jack pulled at his metal cuffs.  He knew that without Ser'in here there was no chance that he was going to get to accompany Sam, but it still frustrated him to be separated from her.  Sam reached out and quickly gave his hands a squeeze.

"I'll be back."

"I'll be here."

Sam forced a smile and followed the lizards away.  Va'lo glanced over his shoulder at Jack and narrowed his eyes slightly.  Jack just looked away, knowing that any reaction he gave would only make Va'lo feel more justified.  When they were gone Jack rested his head on the bars, they had left him so that he couldn't move away from them with his wrists bound together on the far side.  

After about ten minutes Jack decided to sit down and slid down the bars.  He stared at the new animal across the hall, a stripped cat that looked like a small tiger.  The feline was laying on her back, sleeping with all four paws up in the air.  He envied the creature's sense of peace.  As time when by Jack's shoulders started to hurt from having to keep his wrists so far forward.

Jack's stomach was getting tighter as he started to feel like Sam had been gone for longer than she should.  He had to remind himself that he had nothing to base how long it should take.  When he heard a sharp yelp of pain Jack scrambled to his feet.  He couldn't see down the hall and there were no other noises other than the soft huffing of the larger animals' breathing.  

"Carter!"  Jack called out.  "Carter!  Damn it...  Ser'in!  Ser'in, where the hell are you?!"

All Jack's hollering was doing was agitating the creatures around him.  The small tiger rolled over and started pacing.  Jack wanted to be able to pace as well and started trying hard for the first time to slip the chain bracelets off.  Nothing short of removing his thumbs was going to get the chains off, but it didn't keep him from continuing to try.  

Jack didn't stop his pointless struggle until he heard someone coming back down the hall.  The alien's returned and one of them was carrying Sam.  She looked liked she was trying to over come some sort of tranquilizing drug and made clumsy attempts to free herself.  They brought her back into the cell and gently laid her down on the blankets.  Va'lo bent down and released her wrists and removed the leash.  

"Carter?  You okay?"

Sam rolled over onto her stomach and forced herself up on her hands and knees.  She tried to look up at Jack but she just went into a fit of violent dry heaves instead.  Jack automatically jerked on the bars as he tried to get to her.  

"Carter!"

Va'lo stepped up and grabbed a hold of the leash Jack was wearing and pulled it tight.  Jack turned on him and barred his teeth at the dragon like an angry wolf.  

"What did you do to her?!  Where's Ser..."

Va'lo yanked on the leash hard enough to choke off Jack's question.  While he was still distracted one of the other aliens slid the bars down.  Jack tried to turn around to get to Sam but he was forced to take a step back and when he did so the bars separated them once again.  Even on all fours Sam had lost her balance and was on her side holding her stomach.  

"This really isn't necessary...we haven't done anything to you!"  

Va'lo snapped the leash again causing Jack to cough uncontrollably.  Just as he was getting his throat back under control he was dragged into the familiar lab.  At first Va'lo didn't do anything out of the ordinary.  He ordered Jack to step up on a scale, took the usual vitals, and drew some blood.  Jack did everything he could to cooperate in hopes of making this take as little time as possible.  

When they had gone through all the normal procedures Jack started towards the door.  Va'lo pulled him back and tapped his foot on the back of Jack's knee.  Jack growled in frustration, he knew exactly what Va'lo wanted but he was getting tired of taking orders.  Va'lo tapped on his knee once more and added a painful jerk on the leash.  

Jack ground his teeth together to try and control his temper as he got down on his knees.  Va'lo forced Jack into tilting his head towards his left shoulder.  There was a cold pressure at the back of his right ear in the soft concave flesh where his ear and neck met.  The icy feeling was followed by a jab of sharp pain.  

Just like Sam Jack cried out, although more in shock than in true pain.  Va'lo released him and walked around in front of him.  The green alien suddenly looked very friendly, he even attempted a smile.  He encouraged Jack to get back to his feet.  After a suspicious glare Jack got up.

"What are you up to you slimy repti..."

"Kanuri."  Va'lo hissed.

To Jack the world sudden spun violently, like someone had pulled a rug out from under him.  Having suddenly and completely lost his sense of balance he collapsed to the floor.  Even with the solid stone pressing against his body he continued to feel the intense sense of vertigo.  When he felt the collar around his neck tighten he began to fight to get to his feet, however it was impossible.  It was like trying to stand up in an amusement park ride.  After a few tries to get up Jack wasn't even sure which direction up was any more.

Too heavy to be carried the way they had with Sam two of the aliens grabbed Jack by the upper arms and hoisted him up.  Feeling himself being moved forward Jack tried time and time again to get his feet under him, but he could no longer trust the ground under him as it pitched like the deck of a small boat in high seas.  When he looked forward his eyes told him that everything was steady, but his mind simply wouldn't believe it.  

Dropped to the floor once again Jack rolled over on his side and started heaving against an empty stomach.  He jerked defensively as a someone touched his shoulder.  The sudden motion caused his mind to reel even faster.  Closing his eyes he tried to stop the endless tumbling.  The touch repeated itself, this time resting gently on his forehead.  Opening his eyes Jack looked up at Sam who had a look of empathy on her delicate features.

"It wears off in about ten minutes."  Sam said softly.

"What is it?"  Jack moaned.  "What's happening."

"I can't say for sure, but I think it's a safety measure."

"I don't...I don't feel very safe..."  Jack panted.

"Not for us, for them."  Sam corrected.  "There's a little disk behind our ear, I think it gives the inner ear a pulse of some sort that sends the vestibular system into chaos for a while."

"Vesty what now?"

"Vestibular...sense of balance."

"Ugghhh..."  Jack whimpered.  "Stop the world, I want to get off..."

Sam leaned in and kissed Jack's cheek.  While they waited for the effects to wear off Sam ran her fingers through Jack's short hair and rubbed at his upper arm.  He was grateful that they hadn't been given any breakfast because he knew he'd be losing it right about now.  If Sam's theory was correct and Va'lo's single word had set off this reaction he did indeed have an excellent way of subduing them at anytime.  

"Jaa'ck?!"  

Ser'in's cry startled Sam and she instinctively took on a defensive posture.  Jack reached up and took Sam's arm to calm her down.  The vertigo had shifted to nausea so Jack was able to sit up just as Ser'in entered and knelt down in front of him.  She pressed her her oddly shaped hand against Jack's forehead to see if he had a fever.  

"I'm fine, really.  It's getting better."

Ser'in tilted her head to the side and studied Jack with concern.  He forced a smile.  Before Ser'in had a chance to figure out what was going on Va'lo arrived.  Jack scrambled to his feet and pulled Sam into the far corner of the cell.  Ser'in got up as well and turned an angry glare on Va'lo.

Va'lo calmly started to explain himself.  Ser'in made a noise of shock and turned to face Jack.  When she stepped forward Jack reached up and bent his ear forward and turned so that she could see the tiny disk.  With her fears confirmed she turned on Va'lo once again.  

Before Ser'in had a chance to argue Va'lo produced a piece of plastic looking paper with markings on it.  She snatched it away and read it several times.  With a look of defeat she handed it back to him.  She glanced over at her shoulder at the pair before returning to Va'lo.

"At crete narin est'ri?"  Ser'in seemed to beg.

"Dak."

Va'lo left without any gloating or fuss.  Ser'in sighed heavily and turned back to face Jack and Sam with tears in her eyes.  She didn't even try to force one of her awkward smiles.  However she did stretch her hand out for either of them to take.  Sam was the one who acted first and took Ser'in's hand.  The dragon's blue eyes dilated in pleasure.  

"We still trust you, Ser'in."  Sam said.  

Ser'in purred and seemed to flush a bluish colour for a moment.  She started to back up, taking Sam with her.  Jack came with them as they made their way down the hall once again.  Sam almost lost her balance twice, but Jack and Ser'in were both there to help her.  Sam assured Jack that the slips were muscle weakness and not the disk.  This time they were taken towards the garden.  Ser'in released them into the green space and left them in peace.  

"I guess now that Va'lo has a way of controlling us he doesn't mind if we get some fresh air."  Sam noted.

"I think I need a nap."  Jack sighed.

"Sounds wonderful."

Jack helped Sam over to the shade of one of the larger trees.  Laying down on the soft grass Jack rolled onto his side and pulled Sam's back tight against his stomach.  He moved her golden hair away from the back of her ear and looked at the small silver disk embedded in her flesh.  He didn't dare touch it, afraid that he might set it off.  

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do?"

"For now...survive."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Come on...let's do it."

"Now?"

"Yes, _right_ now." Sam pressed. "I can't wait any longer."

"But...in broad daylight?"

"Fine, how about tonight?"

"I don't know... Are you sure you're ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Jack looked at Sam doubtfully. She noticed the lack of confidence in his dark eyes and smiled mischievously. Sam was sitting in the bluish grass of the garden looking up at Jack who was just pacing idly. With the quickness of a panther Sam jumped to her feet.

Before Jack could properly react Sam had one hand on his shoulder and had slipped one leg behind his. With a move that was more skill than brute force Sam brought Jack down to the soft ground. She sat on his stomach and pinned his wrists over his head. Jack offered some resistance and found her surprisingly powerful. A bright smile spread across Sam's face, a cat with its prey under paw.

"I'm ready." Sam said confidently.

"Alright, tonight it is. I've got the codes to both doors burned into my memory, as I'm sure you do."

"Yup."

"We'll crawl out through here and we're off. Let's just hope we're not in the middle of a city."

"Escape is definitely made more difficult by the fact that we don't exactly blend with the natives." Sam agreed ruefully. "But how long have we been here?"

"Two months at least."

"If Ser'in was going to let us go, she would have by now."

"Agreed."

Sam released Jack's wrists and he reached up and carded his fingers into her hair. He pulled her down into a kiss that was made more passionate by the thought of finally tasting freedom. Sam slid down further onto his hips and smiled. She pushed herself up to look down on Jack with one delicate eyebrow raised.

"You're probably not going to buy that whole 'sidearm' excuse this time, are you?"

"Not a chance." Sam chuckled.

"At least that means I'm back to full health." Jack teased.

"I'll be the judge of that."

Jack's eyes widened in shock at the highly suggestive comment. Sam pressed herself harder against him as she leaned in for another kiss. Jack reached up and ran his hands down her sides. Sam had worked every day over the past month to regain the strength she'd once had and it showed. If anything she had more definition to her now than ever before. With nothing else to do and a low fat diet the pair had been working out constantly in an effort to be ready to run when they decided to make a break for it.

However, this was the first time either one of them had been ready physically or emotionally to turn their relationship into a truly sexual one. Jack still wasn't sure if he was ready for this, not only had it been a long time since he'd had a partner, but there was also the fear that Sam would end up far from home, on the run, and carrying a child. Sam knew her own body well enough to know that she didn't have nearly enough body fat for her system to be interested in a pregnancy.

Jack didn't believe her. However with her slender frame against his it was becoming increasingly difficult to worry about consequences. Sam bit down on the space where his neck met his shoulder and any reason and logical thought he may have been capable of instantaneously vanished. Jack wrapped his arms around Sam's lower back and held her closer. Sam had just started pulling up on Jack's shirt when an unwelcome third party announced themselves.

"Jaa'ck, Sa'man'ta..." Ser'in called.

Sam made a noise of frustration and rested her head on Jack's chest. Ser'in usually waited at the gate at the far end of the hallway for them to come to her. However today she stepped out into the garden to look for them. Sam looked up and saw that the dragon had come to an abrupt stop and was looking at them with her head tilted to the side.

"It's like having your parents walk in on you." Jack sighed.

"I could have sworn we were supposed to have at least another hour."

"I'd hope that she'd just go away, but I have to admit the mood is kinda broken."

With another heavy sigh Jack gently rolled Sam off. She got to her feet and helped him do the same. Jack took one last look around the garden in case it was a moonless night, he wanted to make sure he knew exactly where everything was. They were counting on a lot of things to go right, not the least of which was the disks still embedded in their skin. The hope was that it took an auditory stimulus to set them off and that they didn't work like an invisible fence.

Ser'in looked excited, which just served to irritate Jack further. Sam took his hand and gave it a supportive squeeze. He looked over at her and was forced to smile. He reached out and brushed her cheek affectionately. They walked over to Ser'in who was practically jumping up and down in excitement.

"What's gotten in to you?" Jack asked.

Ser'in started chattering and making all sorts of odd sounds. Sam and Jack looked at one another nervously.

"Do you think this is a good thing?" Sam asked.

"She hasn't steered us wrong yet."

Ser'in beckoned them to follow her as she started back down the hall. If she suspected that she'd interrupted an intimate moment she didn't show it. When they got back to the small cell they stood at the bars expecting Ser'in to open them. However she reached out and took Sam's hand to lead them further down the hall.

They made their way to a new part of the complex that neither of them had seen before. It wasn't until Ser'in nudged Jack to go with a different group of aliens that they'd come across that they started to get nervous. Jack shook his head and stepped closer to Sam.

"No way, the last time we were separated we ended up with anti-Dramamine patches."

Ser'in took Jack's hand and pulled him towards the others while making reassuring sounds.

"I don't think we're in trouble here," Sam said "go with them."

"Alright, but for the record: I don't like this."

"Duly noted."

The three dragons that Ser'in handed Jack off to were friendly enough. Everyone had seemed to calm down about being around them since they'd been given the disks. Even Va'lo had begun to treat them as he would a reasonably well behaved dog. Ser'in took Sam's hand and hustled her off into a near by room. The heavy floral scent of a bath invaded Sam's sense immediately.

"You don't usually get this excited about bath day, Ser'in. Not to mention that we're not due for another few days. What's going on?"

Ser'in showed her sharp teeth in a bright smile and motioned towards the tub. Sam rolled her eyes and pulled off her baggy clothing. She slipped into the warm blue water and noticed that there were far more soaps around than normal. Two more pastel coloured aliens came into the room, one of which was holding a heap of bright white cloth.

"Are you guys getting us ready for something special?"

Ser'in smiled again and came over to encourage Sam to use the heavily scented soaps. Even though it really wasn't necessary all three helped Sam scrub her skin. For a moment she was reminded of princesses in the movies that were catered to hand and foot. She closed her eyes as they massaged a thick lather into her hair.

"Jack will be having a fit by now if your friends are giving him a similar treatment."

Ser'in purred and helped Sam rinse the soap from her hair. Once they decided that she was clean enough Sam was allowed to get out of the warm water. They wrapped her up in a large round towel and had her sit down on a near by chair. Ser'in took her hand and with an egg shaped stone started filing Sam's nails.

"Full spa?" Sam chuckled. "I'm not really the type to enjoy pampering."

Chattering among themselves the aliens continued to work on Sam. She was surprised when one of them produced a device that looked a lot like a tiny lightsaber from Star Wars and used the blade to cut her hair into the short messy pixie cut that she had arrived with that had since grown out quite a bit. Fluffing her hair out with some sort of drying device they took a step back to admit their work.

"Okay, now I'm starting to get nervous." Sam admitted. "What is going on here?"

Ser'in wandered over to the heap of cloth and pulled out one of the items. She brought over a pair of flowing pants that looked like they'd been made with a human set of legs in mind rather than the awkward alien ones she'd been wearing. Reaching out to take them Sam discovered that they were a much finer quality material as well, smoother than silk with a stunning sheen.

"Why do I get the feeling that the time has come for us to be put on 'display'?"

Sam stared at Ser'in sadly, trying to communicate to her that she wasn't interested in upgrading cages. Ser'in simply encouraged her to try the new outfit on. Sighing heavily Sam pulled the pants on. They fit her hips surprisingly well. The pants flared out from her hips to form almost a skirt in appearance.

"I hope there is a top to go along with this."

Ser'in seemed to understand and had one of the others bring her what looked like just a long strip of cloth made of the same material. Sam closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. Ser'in came up and had her hold her arms out. With the help of the others she looped it over Sam's head, crossed it over her chest, wrapped it around her ribs twice, and then had it tied off in the back. The tails of the wrap brushed against Sam's lower back.

Looking down at her exposed belly Sam groaned. She glared at Ser'in, but the dragon was much too proud of the effect of the new outfit to notice. Ser'in had one of the other's hand her a pair of strong clippers and she used them to break the chains around Sam's wrists and her throat, although she was careful to leave Jack's dog tags which Sam was still wearing alone.

Satisfied with her work Ser'in sent the others away. Taking Sam's hand once more she lead her back out into the hall and off to the left. Sam could hear Jack swearing at the other aliens long before she saw him. When they came around the corner Sam caught sight of him and came to a dead stop.

Jack was wearing a similar pair of pants as she was that hugged his narrow hips, however they didn't flare out as much and didn't give the same skirt effect. They'd stretched a skin tight tank top over his chest and stomach where it disappeared into the low waistband of his pants. Although an opaque shimmering white it displayed his new muscular definition in breathtaking detail. His hair had turned rich silver over the past few months of stress, However the colour did nothing to age him, it looked like he'd been born with the striking colour.

"Ja...Jack?"

Jack stopped his pointless arguing and looked over at Sam. The look of shock that fell over his face was so priceless that for just a fraction of a second Sam felt the humiliation was all worth it. Even still she found herself crossing her arms over her bare stomach and flushing in embarrassment. Jack said nothing, he just furrowed his brow as if he didn't understand what he was looking at.

They were all standing outside a solid door that held a colourful panel which Ser'in punched a complicated code into to make it slide open. She made the others back away and she personally lead them down the now open hall. There was another solid door at the end which Ser'in opened and ushered them through.

Sam gasped at the amazing world that the door had opened up to. She didn't even notice as the door closed behind them, blending in perfectly with the natural stone. It was a rain forest complete with several large banyan type trees. Everywhere flowering plants and deep coloured vegetation grew. It had a steep topography and they were standing halfway up on what amounted to the top of a miniature scaled mountain. The large granite rocks that littered the landscape were coated in bright green moss and flowering vines. Off just to Sam's right was a gently running stream that cascaded into a large turquoise pool.

The breathtaking forest was not what had caught Jack's eye first. He was noticing the fact that they were standing in the middle of a new prison. Three hundred feet in any direction from where they were standing was a rounded glass wall that encircled them and went from the floor to the ceiling a hundred feet above. The ceiling itself was glass allowing the natural light to pour in. The glass wall even formed the far edge of the deep pool and on the other side the barrier the stone floor gave way to set of steps so on lookers could view under the water.

There were hundreds of the alien reptiles on the far side of the thick glass. Some of them had caught sight of the humans right away and were pointing them out to others. There were several flashes that reminded Sam of old fashioned cameras. There was no sound from the crowd, the glass kept all sound out, and Sam realized it would keep it in as well.

"Looks like we're the new star exhibit." Sam sighed.

Jack still hadn't said anything. He pried his eyes away from the curious on lookers. Sam found his intense gaze suddenly on her and she crossed her arms over her stomach again. She could see that he was grinding his teeth together by the way his jaw muscles bunched. His expression was an odd mixture of murderous intent and hopelessness. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before stalking off.

"Jack? Where are you going?"

"To see if that water is cold..."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The water was cold, but not cold enough. Of course at this point even Arctic temperatures were not going to cool Jack's temper. He had wandered away from Sam because he didn't want her to see him completely lose it. After everything that had happened for some reason this particular insult had cut him right to the bone. He knew they had more than proven to Ser'in that they were not animals to be exploited and yet here they were: on display again.

Worse than just being put behind glass they had taken Sam and dressed her up specifically to be stared at. Diving to the bottom of the deep pool Jack released his breath so that he would stay on the gravel covered floor. With a good fifteen feet of water pressing down on him Jack tried to clear his thoughts. If he was going to get them out of here now he was going to have to come up with something far more clever than memorizing a few colour codes.

Opening his eyes Jack stared at the glass wall of the tank. His water blurred vision could still see the outlines of the aliens looking back at him. Turning away from them Jack took a moment to concentrate on the burning in his lungs as they slowly started to beg for oxygen. When the acidic burn spread from his chest into his arms Jack pushed himself off the bottom and broke the surface.

Swimming over to the edge of the pool Jack hauled himself out onto a large flat stone. Whatever this new material was it was extremely quick to dry. His clothing was dry long before even his short hair was. Sitting on the rock Jack stared into the shimmering turquoise pool that looked painfully similar to an Event Horizon. After half an hour of thoughtlessly staring into the water Jack took a deep breath and got to his feet.

Sam hadn't moved from where he'd left her. She had simply sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest to hide her exposed belly. Sam didn't seem to notice Jack's return, she was looking blankly at the creatures on the far side of the glass wall. Jack watched her and fought the sudden urge to kill her, just to set her free. Instead he pulled off his tank top and held it out to her. Sam looked at it with a confused expression.

"Take it."

"Thank you."

Sam reached out and took the shirt and pulled it on over the ribbon she was wearing. Jack could see some of the tension ease from her shoulders as felt a little less exposed. He hoped that Ser'in would take the hint and get them both something more modest to wear. Sitting down next to her Jack put his arm over Sam's shoulders.

"How's the water?"

"Fine." Jack sighed. "I'm sorry about that, I needed a little time to think this through."

"I understand."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

Sam's words were not very convincing. Jack pulled Sam into a full embrace and held her close. It was as much for his comfort as for hers. He didn't want to give up on escape, but considering he couldn't even see the seam of the door he didn't have many bright ideas at the moment. Sam nuzzled against his chest and then sighed.

"Carter?"

"We're not getting out of here any time soon, are we?"

"No." Jack admitted.

"I don't understand, Ser'in seemed so excited and proud. Why would she think that we'd want this?"

"I don't know."

"I thought we were friends."

"And maybe we are."

"Perhaps, but we're clearly not equals in her eyes." Sam said in a wounded tone.

Jack brought his hand up into Sam's hair and lightly rested his chin on the top of her head. He was suddenly painfully aware of how small Sam had curled herself up. It was only then that he realized that he'd done the same thing. Subconsciously they were trying to make themselves as inconspicuous to prying eyes as they could. Tilting his head back Jack stared out of the skylight far above them. He noticed that the roof actually had a fifty foot circular opening to the elements in the middle of the glass.

"Come on, there has to be somewhere to hide around here."

"Hide?" Sam repeated.

"I don't feel like being watched right now."

Sam nodded in agreement. Jack got to his feet and help Sam do the same. Doing their best to ignore the crowd they started to make their way around their complex environment. On the far side of the hill was an area that had clearly been set up for them to sleep in. In the crook between the mossy stone and a forked leaning banyan tree had been constructed what looked at first glance to be a large bird's nest.

Upon closer inspection they found that the bowl shaped nest had been filled with blankets and large pillows. Jack walked out into the large mass of cloth and offered his hand to Sam to help her step into the unstable pile. They laid down and settled into the soft bed. Jack pulled one of the lighter blankets over them so that for the time being they could just shut out what was going on outside.

Hidden in the cocoon of the blankets Jack laid on his back. Sam laid on her side pressed against him with her head resting on his chest so that she could listen to his heart again. He cradled his arms around her and idly played with her short hair with one hand. Wrapping one arm over Jack's waist Sam just held on to him without moving.

"I went to a zoo once," Sam said quietly "they had just acquired two new Amur Leopards, one of the rarest cats in the world. They had a beautiful large natural enclosure, but both of them were curled up in the small concrete entranceway that lead to the back of the exhibit, pressed up against the bars. You could really only see their tails. Everyone was wondering why the cats had chosen to hide there rather than sleep somewhere more comfortable. Now I know."

"I once accused Daniel of torturing fish by keeping them in that little tank in his apartment rather than in the ocean where they belonged."

"Of course you were just trying to annoy him at the time." Sam smiled. "It had nothing to do with fish 'rights'."

"Yeah." Jack admitted. "I never really thought about what kind of life this must be."

"For a fish it probably isn't so bad, plenty of food, no predators. Even after a little time the leopards got used to it." Sam shrugged. "For us though...I hate to say this, but I don't think it will be more than a few years before I go completely insane."

"Make that the two of us. Even in the Iraqis prison I knew I was there because someone saw me as the enemy, for some reason that made it easier to take. Even though I knew that everyone Air Force thought I was dead and that there was a good chance that I'd die there."

"I hate to think that we are going to die here."

"We're not going to." Jack said confidently. "I just haven't figured out how we're going to get out of this yet."

"I appreciate you pretending to have hope."

"I'm not pretending."

"Yes you are."

"You're right...I am."

Sam sighed and nuzzled against his chest. Jack responded by holding her tighter for a moment. He stared up through the semi-transparent sheet that he'd pulled over them. He could hear birds chirping and wondered if they were real or if it was some kind of piped in sounds. Jack felt Sam suddenly shiver as if cold.

"Carter?"

"It's nothing."

"Doesn't feel like 'nothing'."

"I...uh...I've been having panic attacks."

"Understandable."

"I feel ridiculous." Sam said scornfully. "I've been through a lot worse and been just fine."

"Yeah, but after all those other times you got to go home."

Sam nodded, but he could feel that she was still angry at herself. When the shivering continued she started to grind her teeth together. Jack slipped one hand down to her lower back and rubbed at the tight muscles there. It had always worked to calm her in the past, but right now the panic attack was feeding off itself and spiraling out of control.

Jack rolled over onto his side to move fully envelope Sam in a comforting embrace. The slight shaking escalated into trembling despite her obvious efforts to control herself. She didn't cry and after a few deep breaths she even managed to bring the quaking to a stop. A sad smile touched Jack's lips and he nestled in to kiss her neck.

"Have I mentioned how amazed I am by your strength lately?"

"If I had been stronger sooner we wouldn't be in this mess."

"You were ready to leave a week ago, I was the one who wanted you to rest longer."

"I guess it doesn't matter now."

"No, not really." Jack agreed.

"Honestly, I don't even think this world has a Stargate. I think we came here by ship. I mean...how many fruit juice paintings of it did I do on the walls only to have them washed off like they didn't mean anything? Even if they don't understand English writing the Symbols on the Stargates are the same. Anyone who had seen a Stargate would recognize an Address when they saw one."

"So we should add 'steal a ship' to the plans?" Jack teased.

"Definitely." Sam chuckled.

"Okay so, step one: climb up out of the skylight..."

"It's probably only thirty feet up from the top of the 'mountain'."

"Exactly. Step two: steal a ship."

"What about getting down off the roof?" Sam asked.

"I figured that was a given."

"Ah, right."

"Okay, ship stolen, let's see..."

"Learn to fly it?" Sam suggested.

"Good, good. I like that." Jack nodded. "Once we get into space we just need to point that bird towards home and volia!"

"Which direction is home?"

"East." Jack answered confidently. "Home is East."

"There is no 'East' in space." Sam pointed out.

"Oh, well, in that case I guess we'll just have to pick a random direction and go from there."

"That plan sounds...improbably."

"But not impossible." Jack said matter-of-factly.

"Nothing's impossible, Sir, ...just statistically insignificant."

"Hmmm, that doesn't sound much better than impossible."

"It's not." Sam confirmed. "Seriously... What...what are the chances that the SGC is still looking for us?"

Jack's silence was her answer. They had guessed that they'd been gone for around four months, however, Sam had also come to the conclusion that the day/night cycle was much longer here than on Earth. So their concept of time could be way off. It wouldn't surprise her to find that they'd been missing for closer to six or seven months. She knew that there came a point in every search where it became so emotionally taxing on the rescuers to continuously fail and the chance of success became so small that it was only humane to call off the search.

"We're on our own." Jack admitted. "Daniel and Teal'c would have put up a fight to keep searching, but there is only so much they could do. I'm ninety-nine point nine percent certain that the SGC has given up on us by now. "

"I agree."

"However, _I'm_ not ready to give up on us." Jack said seriously. "How about you?"

"Hell no."

"That's my girl."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Jack sat with his back leaning against one of the large trees that inhabited their glass sealed world. He had a small palm sized stone in his hand that he was running along the edge of a long thin stone that he had carved into a sharp point. He wasn't sure how long he'd been honing the primitive blade, felt like it had been years.

Ten feet away Sam was sitting right in front of the glass. She traced her fingertip in an endless and pointless figure eight against the clear barrier. On the far side a small alien child was staring at her. When the creature tapped on the glass Sam didn't react to the muffled sound. She just continued with her stereotype pattern motions, the first signs of a developing neurotic disorder.

Stepping up behind her Jack noticed that she had been rubbing the same spot on the glass for so long that she'd actually begun to damage it. He stared at her hand as the figure eight slowly began to turn red with blood as the skin on her finger finally degraded. Sam didn't stop even as the blood started to drip down the glass.

Gripping Sam by the upper arm Jack hauled her to feet. She didn't protest as he pulled her away from the gory glass. He brought her to the far side of the tree and released her. Once free she stared blankly at a spot a few inches to the right of Jack's face. Tears stung at his eyes, she never looked at him anymore, she never spoke, and if he didn't stop her she would quickly go back to the glass and her mindless tracing.

Jack reached out and brushed her cheek. Tears tumbled down Sam's face, but she remained expressionless. Jack ran his hand down her body and rested it on her stomach. There was no denying it anymore, inside the swell under Jack's hand a tiny life kicked at him. Disinterested in what was happening Sam pushed past Jack to return to the glass.

Grinding his teeth together Jack lashed out and caught Sam by the arm as she passed by. In one fluid motion he turned her around to face him and sunk the stone dagger he had carved into soft flesh where her ribs ended and her stomach began. It only to a quick upward jerk to pierce her heart, ending both of the lives that it supported.

Pulling the knife out Jack held Sam close while she quickly bled out. With the obstruction removed it only took a few seconds before she arched back in the relaxation of death. Gently laying her down on the blood soaked moss Jack turned his violence towards the aliens that were invading his territory. Alarmed by the murder they had come to subdue him only to quickly learn that their captive was far too dangerous to simply be calmed. For Jack the world turned to blood and chaos until there was the sharp crack of weapon fire.

For some reason the gun shot was not followed by pain. Jack jerked awake, panting heavily and dripping in cold sweat. He sat up and looked around, trying to return to reality after the vivid nightmare. The cold shine of the full moon was pouring in from the glass roof covering everything in an icy layer of blue light. Looking over Jack found Sam sleeping peacefully on her back, her stomach as smooth and flat as the ocean on a breathless day.

Dragging his hands through his hair Jack tried to erase the image of her laying dead in a pool of blood that he had spilled. After a few deep breaths he got up from his place in the nest like bed. Jack carefully made his way down to the pool and silently slipped beneath the surface. Laying on his back with just his face barely above the water he stared up at the silhouettes of the trees.

With his ears under the water all he could hear was the gentle roar of the small waterfall. It wasn't until he started to shiver from the heat loss to the tepid water that he brought his head up and found that he wasn't alone. Sam was sitting on one of the large flat stones that marked the edge of the pool She never dared to swim in the deep water. After her time spent in the tank Jack didn't blame her.

Swimming over to her Jack hoisted himself out of the water and joined her on the rock. The aliens had taken their hint and now both of them wore the tight fitting tank tops. Jack flashed her a forced smile, but she didn't return the gesture. Jack sighed and just stared at the moon's warped reflection bouncing off the water's surface. He was almost completely dry before Sam broke the silence.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Carter, being a woman you probably don't know this, however, those words strike more fear into a man's heart than 'Prepare to be castrated without anesthetics'."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So I'll take that as a 'no'?"

Jack chuckled and put his arm around Sam's shoulders. She wrapped her arm around his lower back and they spent a few more minutes in silence. As time went by Jack found himself with more of an urge to actually accept her offer to talk about what was bothering him. They had been in the terrarium for nearly three weeks and every night he'd had some variation of the disturbing dream.

"How's your sanity?" Jack asked suddenly.

"I'm doing fine."

"Good."

"What about you?"

"I'm not so sure." Jack sighed. "I keep having these nightmares that I kill you in some deranged attempt to free you."

"I've been having a similar dream."

"What?"

"Only I'm the one killing you so that you don't feel like you have to make the decision to murder me." Sam shrugged. "Usually it ends in me slaughtering enough of the aliens to force them into killing me."

"Wow...we are messed up." Jack shook his head.

"I don't think so. It's just a dream, and we are in an extreme situation."

"I guess." Jack said unconvinced.

"Have you also been having dreams that Daniel or Teal'c finds us, or even Ba'al?"

"Yeah."

"See? It's just our minds trying to figure a way out, by miracle or by death."

"And of course for years I've been having a reoccurring dream about being trapped in an elevator with a live turkey that's trying to peck out my eyes. I never though to have myself committed over that one."

Sam laughed and gave Jack a tight hug. He chuckled and hugged her back. She untangled himself from his arms and got to her feet. She wordlessly offered her hand to him and helped him to his feet. Sam started to lead him back to bed, but at the last minute she veered towards the top of the hill.

There was a flat area at the top of the mountain that had a thick cover of moss. Although the enclosure was all natural it was easy to see where they had gone to extra effort to make places where they would want to spend time. This was one case that had been successful, Sam loved to come up here at night and look at the starts and moon.

Jack laid down on the soft ground cover and put his hands behind his head. Sam laid down so that she could rest the back of head on Jack's stomach. Together they stared up at the pale moon that was almost directly overhead. There was a wonderfully cool breeze coming in from the open ceiling high above.

"I don't like this moon, it's too...blue."

"I'm sorry you disapprove." Sam smiled.

"I do. I also miss the bunny on the skateboard."

"What?"

"You know, the rabbit on the moon."

"Maybe I was wrong," Sam said sadly "maybe you have finally lost it."

"I most certainly have not,'" Jack said with mock affront "you can't lose something you've never had."

"Good point."

"Anyway, all those years you spent studying space and you never noticed the bunny on the skateboard in the full moon?"

"Can't say that I did. I've seen the man in the moon."

"Yeah, well if you tilt your head to the side there is an image of a rabbit ridding a skateboard."

"I suppose there is always more than one way of looking at things."

"Exactly." Jack agreed.

"Actually...perhaps we need to look at our current situation differently."

"Different than being unwilling captives trapped in a glass case for the curiosity of others?"

"On the other hand we're together, we're healthy, well fed, and no one is hurting us."

"You have a point." Jack said softly. "I couldn't do this alone."

"I didn't just survive, these aliens saved me...saved us."

"Are you saying we should be grateful for what they've done?"

"They've given us a chance to enjoy each other, a chance to get home. If left in that cage for another day we would be dead, and even if I'm a prisoner I am still glad to be alive."

"It helps me to hear you say that."

"You had doubts?"

"Yes. I was afraid that you might resent me for not ending your life when I had the chance."

"And end up missing out on some of the greatest moments of my life?"

"'Greatest'? Like what?"

Sam rolled over and pulled up on Jack's shirt. Jack cried out in a mixture of surprise and laughter as Sam put her lips to his exposed belly and blew a raspberry against his skin. Jack retaliated by reaching down and mercilessly tickling at her sides. Yelping Sam returned the tickle assault. They rolled and tussled like puppies at play. Eventually Sam got the upper hand, sitting on his stomach with her fingernails torturing the sides of his ribs.

"Ack!" Jack laughed. "Mercy, mercy!"

Breathless from the tickling herself Sam laid down on Jack's chest panting. He reached up and rubbed the mirthful tears from his eyes. Taking a deep breath Jack still couldn't keep from a quiet chuckling. He wrapped his arms around Sam and hugged her tight.

"Okay, I'll admit it," Jack smiled "things aren't all bad."

"That's the spirit."

Sam ruffled Jack's hair and pushed herself up for a quick kiss that ended up lasting far longer than she had intended. She giggled as Jack rolled over so he could pin her to the mossy ground. Nuzzling her neck he bit her gently. The amorous play would have continued if it was for a sudden chirping call that caused Jack to freeze.

"What was that?"

"Sounded like Ser'in." Sam said as she wriggled out of Jack's embrace. "What would she be doing here so late at night?"

"Particularly since she's been avoiding us." Jack grumbled.

"She certainly doesn't visit the way she did when we were still in quarantine."

"Jaa'ck? Sa'man'ta?"

"Up here, Ser'in." Sam called.

It took Ser'in a few minutes to find the pair, but she managed. She wasn't wearing her usual uniform, instead she had a more casual outfit on. Slung over her shoulder was a single strapped back pack. She stepped up to where Jack and Sam were still sitting on the ground and knelt down.

"Dali." Ser'in sighed.

"Don't say you're sorry," Jack said irritated "just get us out of here."

"Jack, I'm sure it's not that simple."

"She knows all the codes to the doors, it is just that simple."

"Greais ne ha, jen'ra lasin me hano."

Ser'in opened the backpack and pulled out a large handful of papers that had a plastic sheen to them. She handed the stack of papers over to Sam and encouraged her to look through them. Sam didn't understand any of the writing however the photos embedded into the document were clear enough. Sam looked at a photo of when Jack had first been 'rescued' and couldn't believe how thin he had been. She smiled as she came across a picture of Jack's content look as she slept in his arms on the floor of their old cell.

"It looks like a research paper about us." Sam said as she showed Jack the photos. "Looks like she's documented everything."

"Oh joy, a scrap book."

"It means she's at least trying to prove our intelligence."

"Right now I'm more worried about their intelligence." Jack huffed.

"Ser'in," Sam tapped the pages and then up at the opening in the roof "are you trying to help us get out?"

Ser'in looked up and then rotated her head clockwise.

"She always makes that same motion whenever we ask any questions."

"No, I've noticed that sometimes it's clockwise and sometimes counter." Sam noted. "I'm fairly certain clockwise means 'yes'."

Ser'in reached out and took the papers from Sam. Laying the stack down she gestured towards the glass in a sweeping motion and then picked up the first page and tore it into shreds. Hanging her head she started to cry.

"No one believes her." Sam translated sadly.

"Why the hell not?"

"Maybe they just don't want to."

Ser'in pulled the back of her scaled hand across her face to brush away the tears. Reaching into the bag again she produced some metal disks that had symbols stamped into them. There were five different sizes, each with unique markings. She placed a few of them on the ground. Sam picked one up and inspected it.

"Looks like money."

"Great, maybe there's a soda machine around here."

Ser'in reached out and touched Jack's shoulder and then dropped a larger amount of the coins onto the ground between them. She looked at Jack and Sam anxiously. Jack looked down at the mental disks and then back at Ser'in.

"I''m sorry," Jack said "I don't understand."

"I think she's trying to tell us that we are worth a lot of money to the zoo."

"Peachy."

Sam smiled sadly and pushed the coins towards Ser'in. The pink dragon collected them up and placed them back into the bag. She put the papers away as well and then retrieved a small book. Bound in what looked like blue glass Ser'in handed the book to Sam. She opened the surprisingly light weight book and started leafing through the pages.

"It's blank." Jack noted.

Ser'in produced a thin stylus and demonstrated how the sharp end burned a mark into one of the empty pages. She gave the pen to Sam and got to her feet. Ser'in forced an awkward smile.

"I guess we're supposed to fill the pages."

"With what?" Jack asked.

"Anything we think might help us get home."

Ser'in walked over to medium sized stone and turned it over. Sam and Jack watched as she dug a small hole, being careful to throw the dirt far from the stone. Walking over she took the book back along with the pen and placed then in the hole and fit the rock back on top. Ser'in pointed up at the moon and lifted the rock again to give the items back.

"I take it she wants us to keep it a secret." Jack said.

Ser'in looked around nervously and gathered up her book bag. Slinging it over her shoulder she turned to leave. Sam gave the book to Jack and got to her feet. Before Ser'in could leave Sam caught up with her and stepped in front of her. Ser'in made a quiet noise of surprise when Sam wrapped her arms around her in a quick hug.

"Thank you, Ser'in...uh...gala, thank you."

Ser'in's blue eyes dilated and she purred. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. When she decided that they were alone Ser'in reached out and hugged Sam back. It was an awkward embrace and a little too hard around the ribs for Sam's comfort, but she appreciated the gesture anyway.

After Ser'in left Jack stepped up behind Sam with the gifts in his hands. She took the book and the pen and sat down. Jack sat down behind her so that he could support her back and read over her shoulder. Instead of writing Sam started placing dots in what appeared to him to be a random order.

"What cha doing?"

"It's the major stars as seen from Earth."

"Are they going to know that?"

"No."

"Then why bother?"

"Because I don't want to forget them."

Jack reached around Sam's waist and stole the pen from her. Down in the far corner he drew a small circle and inside it he drew a shape. He handed the pen back to Sam and she studied his drawing for a moment trying to figure it out.

"The bunny in the moon." Sam smiled.

"Yup, I don't want to forget to show it to you when we get back."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Perched on a large rock Jack passed the time by destroying a multi petaled flower. He wasn't bothering with any games of 'she loves, she loves me not', he already knew the answer to that. As he plucked the last petal off the pink and orange flower he picked up a bright blue one and started to ruin its beauty as well.

Jack had originally gathered the flowers as a present for Sam, but now he was using them to pass the time while his wait for her return stretched on far longer than usual. Every other week or so, time was getting harder to keep track of, they'd be taken away one at a time for a general physical. There had been nothing out of the ordinary about his own medical check today, however Sam had been gone long enough for there to be a significant change in the position of the sun.

Having ripped the blue flower into little pieces Jack dragged his hands through his short silver hair. Getting up off the rock he paced back and forth to take his mind off the continued solitude. He glanced up at the glass and for the first time one of the aliens caught his eye.

The dull orange alien looked to be a young powerful male. Unlike any of the others he wore a necklace. Jack had never seen the aliens wear any kind of jewelry before. It was made of what looked like leather with a few handmade beads strung on it. He was standing a few feet from the glass with his arms crossed over his chest and a familiar expression on his reptilian features.

Jack studied the orange alien, trying to figure out what or rather who his expression reminded him of. It was his eyes, although they were green they held the exact same irate glitter that Daniel got when Jack told him that a random culture wasn't worth studying. Much to the delight of the other visitors Jack stepped up to the glass, however he only had eyes for the orange alien.

"Hey, what's your name?" Jack asked.

The alien couldn't hear him, but Jack's motions did cause him to raise his scaly eyebrows. Jack tapped on the glass and pointed at him. The alien tilted his head to the side and then pointed at his own chest.

"Yes, I'm talking to you. Come over here."

Jack encouraged the alien to step forward by beckoning him over. The orange alien looked around and then stepped up to the glass. Jack reached up and put his hand against the barrier. It was the first time he'd actually touched the prison wall. He was surprised to find that it was not glass, but rather some sort of shiny energy field.

Jack's new friend was just lifting his hand to press against the barrier when Jack heard the door to the enclosure opening. Forgetting the orange dragon Jack turned and rushed through the jungle to greet Sam. When he got to where the nearly invisible door was it had already closed and Sam wasn't there. He looked around and caught a glimpse of motion through the thick foliage.

"Carter?"

Getting no response Jack jogged towards where he thought he'd caught sight of her. He came around the artificial mountain top and came to a stop. Sam was curled up in the oversized nest, hiding under the sheer blankets. Jack walked up and sat down on the edge of the natural bed.

"Samantha?"

"I'm okay."

Sam's voice was barely a whisper. Moving slowly Jack joined her in the mass of pillows and blankets. Sitting down by her side he reached out laid his hand on her shoulder. He was not surprised to find that she was trembling, but it did cause his already sour stomach to churn. Jack rubbed her arm in an attempt to be supportive.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

Jack sighed sadly, but didn't push her for answers. Remaining sitting next to her he stroked her hair even though it was hidden under the semi-transparent sheet. She was staring at nothing with unfocused tear reddened eyes. Sam opened her mouth a few times to speak, but remained silent. Jack was just about to lay down with her when something caught his eye.

"Carter...you're bleeding."

Sam gasped sharply. Her first instinct was to curl up tighter and try and hide the crimson stain. However, she knew it was too late to ignore the blood.

"Do you need me to get Ser'in?"

"No." Sam said firmly. "It's not serious...I...just help me down to the stream."

"Alright."

It took Sam a moment to come out from under the slight protection of the blanket. Sitting up she purposely kept her eyes averted from Jack's. Getting to his own feet Jack held his hands out to help her stand. Once standing the red stain on the front of Sam's loose pants expanded in a thin line that cause the fabric to stick to inset of her leg.

Jack didn't say anything he just helped her walk over the uneven terrain towards the stream. Above the waterfall the stream formed a pool that was about two feet deep. Knowing it would be hard to drown in the shallow water Sam had no fear here, it was only the deeper waters that she never entered. Sam sat down in the water, which came up to her waist. The water quickly washed away any evidence of the blood.

Entering the small pool himself Jack sat down in front of Sam and just waited. For a while she just stared at her own distorted reflexion on the surface of the slow moving water. Eventually she gave a heavy sigh and brought her face up to look at him. Jack flashed her a cheesy smile and she managed to giggle.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes." Sam nodded.

"Want to talk about it?"

"You're right, those words are terrifying."

"I told you so."

"That you did." Sam forced a smile. "It really isn't a big deal, I'll be fine. The medical exam just got a little...uh...personal this time and I fought back. I really pissed Va'lo off and by the time they had me under control he was in no mood to be gentle."

"Va'lo?" Jack asked in shock. "Where was Ser'in?"

"I don't know. Not there."

"She's never there when we need her." Jack said bitterly.

When Sam seemed to drift off in to her thoughts again Jack reached out under the water to touch her knee. Sam jerked back in startled fright. He pulled back quickly, not having meant to scare her. A flash of anger crossed over Sam's face. However, Jack knew it was at herself and not directed at him.

"I'm sorry." Sam muttered.

"I'm the one you startled you."

"I just don't want you thinking I don't trust you."

Jack shook his head sadly. Once again Sam was staring at the water's surface, lost in thought. Jack took a deep breath and tried to pick his next words carefully.

"Carter, I've never mentioned this, but as your Commanding Officer I had unrestricted access to your records...I know what happened back at the Academy."

"It was a long time ago, it doesn't bother me anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"It's not like I'm alone, it's not easy being a female in the Armed Forces and sexual assault is regrettably common."

"I know, it's...it's nothing short of an epidemic." Jack admitted. "It's the real reason I never risked telling you how deeply I had fallen in love with you. I couldn't put you through it again if you didn't feel the same...or even if you did for that matter."

"That's ironic...it was my reason too." Sam chuckled hollowly. "Not that I thought you'd ever hurt me, but part of me was always terrified that I'd be dragged through the mud all over again. That I'd have to prove it was rape again if I was seen willingly in arms of my CO...even if you had retired, everyone would know when the relationship had started. I feared I'd be back in court, only this time when I got tarred and feathered you'd have suffer through it as well."

"I would have stayed by you, but I would have rather never have told you than to open that wound again."

"At least here there's no one to judge us."

"There was no one at home who had the right to either."

Sam managed a more genuine smile. Moving though the shallow water she sat down on Jack's lap and put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her loosely and they enjoyed a few minutes in silence. A flashing light caught the corner of Jack's eye. He looked in the direction of the 'glass' and found that several aliens were apparently taking pictures of the tender moment. Jack decided to just ignore them.

"They want me pregnant." Sam said casually.

"Wha...what?"

"That's what this was about, I'm sure of it. They were seeing if I was medically sound, or possibly already pregnant. I'm sure of it."

"If they think for one second that we can be 'bred'..."

"That's the problem, they still see us as animals, they still see it as just breeding cattle. Ser..."

"Ser'in is no help at all." Jack snarled. "You have filled four books with diagrams, addresses, pictures, wittings, if hundreds of pages aren't enough to convince them then _**nothing**_ ever will be."

"I know Ser'in knows, I know she's trying. However, she must be walking a fine line. I'm sure just like at home it's easy to be discredited and possibly thrown out of a career you love."

"Not when you're right."

"Tell that to Daniel."

Jack took a breath to protest, but realized that there was nothing he could say. Daniel had found more than enough evidence to prove his theories and yet he'd been thrown out of the academic world violently. Sam smiled, knowing she'd won the discussion. Kissing Jack cheek she hugged him tighter.

"Well, no matter what it isn't going to happen." Jack said firmly. "There is no way we can bring a child into this life."

"If we make it home, would you be willing to start a family?"

"When we get home I'd love nothing more."

Sam smiled at Jack's continued optimism. Feeling tired Sam got out of the water and Jack followed. They stayed around the water's edge to make sure the bleeding had stopped and for their clothing to dry. She was grateful for the fast drying clothing and even more grateful that no more blood stained them. Jack took her back to the bed and they curled up together. Within seconds they were fast asleep.

Two months later little to nothing had changed. Sam had suffered through two more exams, but she was getting used to them. Despite the time that had passed they seemed no closer to freedom, the crowds still came to gawked, and Ser'in continued to supply Sam with fresh books. Sam continued to write and draw in them, but these days she just did so without the purpose of proving herself. The moon was nearly full and the pair was in their usual spot for stargazing.

"It's a duck."

"Really?" Sam mused. "I was thinking more of a swan."

"I'll meet you halfway with 'goose'."

"Sounds good."

Sam sketched out the newly named Goose Constellation. She was sitting with her back up against a rock while Jack just laid on his back staring up at the bright stars. They were close to having the entire portion of the sky that they could see mapped out and labeled. It kept them busy.

"Carter?"

"Yes?"

"What are the chances that any of those stars are Earth?"

"None." Sam replied instantly. "Earth isn't a star."

"Smart ass." Jack chuckled. "Does Earth's star have a name other than the sun?"

"Sol. Hence Solar System."

"It all makes sense now."

"As to the chances, they are small, but they certainly aren't zero."

"Still a long way from here, even if we could see it."

Jack's tone held an edge of hopelessness that wasn't usually there. Sam put down her book and laid down with her head on Jack's stomach. Together they stared up at the stars, each of them secretly trying to determine which one might be home. They never ran out of things to talk about, but at times they ran out of the need for words. This was one of those times. When a familiar chirping broke the silence Jack sighed heavily.

"I think you're about to lose another book." Jack noted.

"That's okay. Although I wonder if I can find a way to talk her into bringing us a picture book about her world, maybe something that I can use to learn to read."

"So you think learning to read could get us out of here?"

"No...but it would be something to do."

"The boredom is getting painful."

"Jaa'ck... Sa'man'ta..."

Sam took a breath to reply to Ser'in's call but Jack gently placed his hand over her mouth to stop her. They waited in silence to see if Ser'in would find them. She did, but they instantly noticed that she was not in her usual light mood. It was hard to tell with her reptilian eyes, but it looked to Jack as though she had been crying. Sam sat up and looked at her with concern.

"Ser'in? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that we're still here." Jack replied as he sat up.

Ser'in looked at each of them in turn and sat down heavily. She hadn't brought anything with her to illustrate any points, she hadn't even come with another book. For an uncomfortable period of time she stared at Jack and Sam with her unblinking eyes. Eventually Sam reached out and touched Ser'in's arm.

"Talk to us, Ser'in, you're the only one who seems to care."

"Seems is an excellent choice of words, Carter."

"Jack?"

"I'm sick of this game. She comes here every few weeks and acts as though this is just as hard for her as it is for us, but every other night she goes home, she spends time with her family, goes about her daily life. She claims that we're nothing but money to the zoo. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain she's earning a portion of the money we bring in."

"There might be only so much she can do."

"Then I don't want to see any more crocodile tears."

Ser'in didn't understand Jack's words, but it was easy to guess their meaning from his harsh tone. She reached out to touch his face, but he leaned back to prevent the unwanted contact. Ser'in sighed and looked to Sam. Seeing that she was being asked to choose a side Sam moved closer to Jack.

"Nepa je'sta ec vue." Ser'in whimpered. "Va'lo, humin re'cin oft onster."

"Va'lo...that can't be good." Jack said. "What do you suppose she's talking about?"

"No idea."

Ser'in shifted so that she was kneeling rather than sitting. In this position it wasn't as easy for Jack to back away from her touch. Ser'in reached out and put her delicate hand on Jack's chest over his heart and held it there for a moment. Taking her hand off him she put her palm against Sam's stomach. Although trusting Sam did tense at her touch. Ser'in sat back and laced her fingers together and stared at them desperately.

"No." Jack growled angrily. "Never."

"Jack, what is she doing?"

"She's begging."

"Begging?"

"It's something I taught her. She wants you pregnant, she's no better than any of the other slimy dragons."

"Jaa'c..." Ser'in started.

"No! Get out of here. Leave!"

Ser'in stared at Jack in shock. She started to try and apologize, but Jack made it clear that he was not interested in such things. Looking defeated Ser'in got to her clawed feet and walked away. Sam wanted to stop her, but she knew it wouldn't help. Jack wait till Ser'in was out of sight before getting to his feet.

"Come on."

"What?"

"We're getting out of here."

"Jack..."

"Now."

Jack reached down and took Sam's hand to haul her to her feet. He lead her around the mountain in the opposite direction that Ser'in had gone at a rushed pace. They got to the stone wall that doubled as a door seconds before Ser'in arrived. Jack practically forced Sam behind a near by tree and crept into the shadows near the door. Sam could see the predator in Jack's eyes as he waited for Ser'in to open the door.

Ser'in stepped up and passed her hand over a square etched into the stone which lit up with colours. Sam knew the code by heart, but this panel did not respond to just any touch. Ser'in went to enter the code but hesitated. She looked around and then sniffed at the air.

"Jaa'ck?"

Jack had not counted on Ser'in's sense of smell being so acute. Feeling that his position had been made he stepped out of the shadows. Ser'in forced a smile, but she couldn't keep from taking a nervous step back. Jack rushed up and snatched her left wrist in one hand and whipped her around and forced her back against his chest. He reached around her and put his other hand around her throat. Ser'in cried out and tried to free herself, but now that Jack was healthy again he was far stronger than her.

Everything happened so fast that by the time Sam broke cover Jack had Ser'in under his control. The pink dragon whimpered in fright and pleaded to be released. With her thin arm being forced up between her shoulder blades Sam knew Jack was hurting her. Sam walked up to Jack carefully with her hands held up in a placating manner. She knew what he was trying to do, but this wasn't going to help them.

"Jack, let her go, please."

"No!" Jack barked. "Enough is enough! Ser'in, open thi..."

"Kanuri!"

It had been so long since anyone had triggered the disk at the back of Jack's ear that he had completely forgotten about it. His balanced reeled violently dropping him to the ground. Ser'in cried out as she was taken down with him. She quickly untangled herself from him and slammed the code into the panel and ran down the hall. Jack forced himself to his feet, but when he tried to follow her he stumbled to the side and was brought back to his knees.

"Just lay down." Sam urged.

"Carter? You still on your feet?"

"Yes, I have a different trigger word."

"Go after her, get out of here."

Sam shook her head sadly and sat down next to Jack. He wrapped his arms over his stomach and started retching. He snarled in a combination of anger and frustration. Sam rubbed between his shoulder blades as the effects of the disk slowly wore off. When he could Jack sat up and looked at Sam with a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry, Carter, I think I may have just burned the last bridge out of here."

"It was a bridge to nowhere anyway."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Are you going to get out of bed today?"

"No."

"I see...are you going to let me get up?"

"Um...." Jack thought about it and then held Sam tighter. "No, I don't think I will."

"I have to pee."

"That's not my problem." Jack teased.

"It will be soon."

Jack chuckled and released his captive so that she could attend to urgent matters. When Sam returned Jack was still curled up in the mass of pillows. He looked so comfortable that Sam decided to rejoin him. Like a venus fly trap Jack engulfed Sam in a full body embrace. Yelping in mock distress Sam gnawed playfully on his neck in an attempt to escape.

In retaliation to his prey struggling Jack rolled over her and pinned Sam to the pillows. Giggling Sam freed one hand so that she tickle at his ribs. Crying out from the assault Jack rolled back over so that she was laying on his stomach. Peaceful once again Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and went to go back to sleep.

"What are we going to do today?" Sam asked.

"We're doing it right now."

"I can't lay here all day."

"What do you have in mind then?"

"I want to go swimming."

"What?"

"You heard me." Sam smiled. "I can't spend the rest of my days afraid of the water, today seems as good as any to face that particular phobia. It'll give us something to do."

"Okay, under one condition."

"Name it."

"Five more minutes in bed."

"You got it."

Jack smiled brightly and settled further into the pillows. Sam put her head down on his chest and before either one of them knew it they had fallen asleep again. The amount of time they spent sleeping was starting to disturb Sam, but at the same time when there was nothing better to do it was a good way to pass the time.

It had been just over a week since Jack's confrontation with Ser'in. She had visited them once since then, but she had come during the day and she hadn't come alone. Jack tried to apologize, but she was still nervous around him. Sam wished that she knew more of Ser'in's language, but it was so complicated that she wasn't sure anyone other than Daniel would have a chance at it. It wasn't just the words themselves but apparently what tone they were said in that determined their meaning. Changes in pitch and emphasis determining the meaning of a word was not something that the English speaking pair were used to.

Waking up for the second time that day Sam opened her eyes and spent a few minutes playing with the dog tags and tooth that Jack still wore. Before she read the tags she tried to recall her serial number. After all this time she could only remember the first three numbers. Reading the dull metal tag the number and the life associated with it seemed so foreign.

Jack was still snoring softly so she let him sleep for a while longer. When her energy finally got the better of her Sam stretched out causing Jack to jerk awake. She could feel his whole body tense as he tried to figure out his surroundings. She still felt disoriented sometimes when she woke up in the middle of the jungle rather than in her bed. Jack relaxed and rubbed Sam's lower back.

"So...still care to take a dip?" Jack asked.

"You bet cha."

Sam crawled out of the large nest and stretched out her back. They had been staying active just in case the chance to run presented itself. If anything they were both in better physical shape than either of them had ever been in. Jack got up and shook himself off like a dog getting out of a lake. He looked out at the aliens watching them.

"Not much of a crowd today."

"I'm thinking this must be a 'weekday' for them." Sam noted. "They seem to work off an eight day week."

Jack nodded and looked past the few aliens milling about to the enclosure across from them. He had spent so much time avoiding looking at the boundaries of their prison that he'd never really thought to look at the other inhabitants. In a smaller area the dog like creature that had been locked up across from them at the side show was sleeping on his back. There were three others in the enclosure as well, but Jack recognized his old companion in suffering instantly.

"Hey, look who it is." Jack chuckled as he pointed at the dog.

"You didn't notice him before?"

"Nope. He looks good. Nice and fat."

"Yeah, I think he's happy here."

"At least someone is."

"Life's not that bad is it?"

"No, I guess not. This just isn't what I had in mind when it came to a retirement."

Sam smiled and started to make her way down to the large pool. She sat down on the flat rock that acted as point of entry and put her legs in the water. Her breathing instantly started getting shallow at the thought of not being able to stand in the deep water. Jack sat next to her and put his arm over her shoulders.

"How do you want to do this?"

"Probably best to just jump in." Sam replied with more courage than she felt.

"I'll go first."

Jack slid off the rock and slipped under the surface. He came back up, treading water easily. Sam hesitated to follow. She was more afraid of panicking than actually drowning. Jack offered her his hand and she leaned forward to take it. Taking a deep breath Sam pushed herself off the rock and plunged into the warm clear waters.

The first moment of weightlessness sent a familiar icy spear of anxiety through Sam's heart. However, Jack was right there and he guided her back to the surface. Treading water as well Sam took a moment to familiarize herself with the motions needed to keep her head above water. Not being restrained and held under made all the difference and Sam found her fears quickly melting away.

"You look more comfortable already." Jack said.

"I am."

Sam took a deep breath and ducked under the surface. She swam down to the bottom and back again, enjoying the freedom of motion that the weightlessness of the water allowed. Jack chuckled as Sam splashed him and dove away from him again. Following her this time they played around in the water like a pair of carefree otters.

Swimming over to the barrier Sam flipped upside down and put her hand against the force field. A young alien stretched up to touch the place where she had her palm. Sam did a somersault and was amused to find that the young dragon instantly copied her on the ground. After a quick breath Sam dove down and did a handstand on the bottom. Her new friend tried to imitate her, but kept falling over. Sam chuckled, causing bubbles to float up to the surface.

Needing another breath Sam returned to the surface. Jack was there and gave her a knowing smile. Sam splashed him again and returned to the edge of the pool for some support. She held on to the rock's ledge and caught her breath.

"Having fun?"

"Yes." Sam admitted.

"Good."

The pair spent about half an hour playing in the refreshing water. Jack even managed to steal a kiss under the waterfall. Getting out they hung out on the rock while they drip dried. As they waited Jack's attention was suddenly elsewhere. Sam looked in the direction of his gaze and found an orange alien watching them. He had a book in his hands and was scribbling in it. He had a quiet intelligence to him as he continued to take notes.

"Who does that alien remind you of?" Jack asked.

"Daniel." Sam replied instantly.

"Same here."

"He's here a lot."

"You've seen him before?"

"Quite a few times. This is the first I've noticed him actively taking notes, but he watches us a lot."

"Have you ever tried to make contact with him?"

"Once, when you were gone."

"What happened?"

"He started to come closer, but one of the staff chased him away."

"Interesting."

Jack got up and helped Sam do the same. He took her hand and led her over to the 'glass'. When the orange alien brought his nose up out of his book and saw that they had come closer his green eyes dilated. Sam had learned that this was about as close to a smile as this race came. Putting his pen in his book he looked around to see if anyone was watching him.

Satisfied that the staff was busy elsewhere he walked up to the energy field and put his palm against it. When Jack reached up and did the same the alien quickly picked up his pen again and wrote something down. After looking around again he held up the page so that could see it. There was a row of six symbols in a vertical arrangement.

"I bet it's his name." Sam said.

Sam pointed at the symbols and then pointed at the alien's chest. His eyes lit up with excitement and he moved his head in circular pattern for 'yes'. He flipped through a few pages of his book and then held up another page. This one held a sketch of Jack and Sam kissing and under it was another drawing of two aliens doing something very similar only they were more like bitting on each other's lip.

"He's trying to equate our culture to his own." Sam said excitedly. "He's noticed similarities."

"Maybe he can help us."

"I wish I knew how to draw Ser'in's name. I never thought to ask her."

When Jack turned back to the orange alien he found that one of the staff had approached him. The staff member looked like they were trying to be polite, but the orange alien was arguing with them. He pointed at the open page in his book and after a quick look the staff member gave the orange alien a dubious look.

"Why is it so hard to believe that we are intelligent?" Jack snarled.

"At least we've made contact with someone other than Ser'in now."

Sam watched as three security officers started to make their way over to the argument. She pounded her fist on the glass to alert him of the approach. The orange alien looked at her startled and she pointed over his shoulder. He looked behind him and clutched his book his chest. After a moment of indecision the orange alien bowed to them both and quickly fled. The security guards seemed satisfied that he was leaving and did not chase after him.

"That was interesting." Jack said.

"I think we might have another ally."

"Excellent. We should show him your book."

"Hopefully he'll be back tomorrow."

Jack nodded. He reached out, caught Sam around the waist, and pulled her tightly up against himself. Sam chuckled as he leaned in for a kiss. She accept the passionate offer and returned it enthusiastically. A new chance at escape had instantly elevated both of their moods.

The next day they both got up early in hopes that the orange dragon would return. Sam had retrieved her latest book from its hiding place under the rock and moved it to under a large plant near the wall. She had spent most of last night drawing a picture of the orange alien and his unusual necklace in hopes that he would recognize her efforts.

The zoo wasn't open yet so Sam and Jack just waited on the rock by the pool. When they heard the door opening they both got to their feet to investigate. Sam had hoped that it would be Ser'in and perhaps she could show her the drawing of the orange dragon. However it was Va'lo and several others, when he caught sight of her he pointed a thin finger at Sam. She sighed and started towards him, but Jack put his arm out to stop her.

"Whoa, wait, they always take me first." Jack said nervously. "And it was only like two weeks ago that he was here."

"Don't worry about it, they're probably just checking me today."

"No." Jack shook his head. "Don't go, make them get Ser'in to get you come over to them."

"If I make Va'lo do that he'll just treat me poorly when he does get a hold of me. There is no fighting this."

Jack ground his teeth together. Sam could see that he was about half a second away from rushing Va'lo to try and kill him. Knowing that Va'lo wasn't about to let Jack get within ten feet of him Sam stepped between the two. She gave Jack a kiss and smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'll be back."

"I'll be here." Jack sighed.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Sam smiled sadly once more and made her way towards Va'lo. The dragon stepped to the side and allowed her to step through the open door. The men he had brought with him stayed close to her as they made their way through the hall. Sam knew the way and she started to go to the left. However Va'lo barked at her and they pushed her off to the right.

"Ser'in." Sam requested nervously.

Va'lo and the others ignored her completely. Sam didn't dare use Va'lo's name, it tended to send him into a rage. When they came to a familiar room Sam relaxed a bit. They were in the original medical lab that they used to get treatment in. It wasn't until Sam caught sight of the set of chain bracelets and necklace on the exam table that her heart rate spiked again.

Sam tried to take a step back but Va'lo was right there. When he put his hand on her shoulder she jerked away from him. Sam turned to face the dragons and backed further into the room to get away from them. Grievously out numbered Sam took a deep breath to call for help.

"Ser..."

"Calista!"

Va'lo's harsh word spun Sam's world around instantly. Like being tossed into a violent sea Sam didn't know which was was up and she fell to the floor. It was instinct to close her eyes against the sudden dizzy spell but she forced herself to keep them open so that she had a chance at fighting. However the dragons were smart and waited until she was seized by the uncontrollable convulsion of dry heaving before moving in.

Sam cried out incoherently as they secured the new set of chains around her throat and wrists. One of the aliens held her tightly by the collar while another grabbed her elbow and held her arm steady. There was a brief sharp pain of a needle and then the dizziness was joined by a heavy feeling that made it even more difficult to keep standing despite the support of the scaly hands on her.

When she found herself free and laying down Sam closed her eyes for a moment. Fearful of falling asleep she snapped them open again and tried to stand. Slamming into something solid Sam fell back to the cold floor. Rolling over onto her back Sam stared up at the close metal ceiling. Gasping sharply Sam sat up and scrambled back, knocking into the back of the small kennel. She stared out of the mesh wire door and cried out in horror.

Even the sedative in her blood couldn't keep her calm as she realized that there was good chance that she was about to be sold or transferred somewhere else. When a new set of aliens wearing a dark blue uniform were brought into the room to look at her Sam threw herself at the wire door and laced her fingers through the bars. The aliens chattered casually with one another.

"Don't do this, don't separate us!"

"Va'lo?" Ser'in's voice sliced through the general commotion. "Ken tua? Ju'sta me renin tak merin!"

"Ser'in, de'l nara." Va'lo said calmly. "Tu nerei tak mal hestri."

"Kak! Far'is..."

"Dak, Ser'in."

Sam watched as Ser'in's eyes filled with fear and it only served to fuel her own terror about what was happening. Ser'in started to argue, but Va'lo was not about to be embarrassed in front of the others. He pulled her roughly to the side and hissed something to her quietly. Ser'in looked over at Sam and then returned them to Va'lo with a look of sheer spite. Va'lo produced some paperwork which she snatched away from him. After reading it she growled at him angrily and turned to leave.

"Ser'in, wait! Don't leave me!" Sam cried desperately. "Please! Please, far'is, far'is! Ser'in!"

Va'lo barked an order at one of his staff and they walked out of view for a moment. When he returned he had a heavy black blanket in his hands. The thick cloth was thrown over the small cage plunging Sam into a inky darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Jack paced back and forth rubbing at his forearms compulsively. He had not noticed if the orange alien had returned or not because he was far too busy worrying about the fact that Sam had not been returned. He had been able to tell himself everything was fine until the sky had turned blood red with sunset. There was no moon out tonight so the jungle cage had been slowly engulfed in a thick darkness. Even blind Jack contiuned his swift pacing.

"Ser'in!" Jack roared. "Va'lo!"

Throwing his shoulder against the stone wall that held the door Jack snarled in rage. He had been calling out for the dragons for hours. No one had answered the cries, they hadn't even dared to bring him anything to eat today. Not that he would have touched it anyway. At this point he decided that it was a wise move on their part because he was not about to let a little vertigo keep him from killing the next reptile he got his hands on.

"Ser'in!"

Jack's voice was raw and hoarse from demanding attention. Exhausted Jack sat down and pulled his knees up to his chest. Resting his chin on his knees Jack stared sullenly at the door that blended in so well with the large stone. He couldn't even think, his thoughts were just stumbling over one another.

When the sunrise broke Jack was still staring sightlessly at the stone wall. He had never fallen asleep, but he had slipped into a trance that was only disturbed by the warm morning sun striking his face. Forcing himself to his feet Jack paced the worn track in the moss for a while. Jack suddenly had the thought that they were afraid of him since the last attack and were waiting for him to move away before opening the door.

"A watched kettle never boils."

Pleased to have a theory and a set course of action Jack wandered away and down to the edge of the pool. He wanted to continue his pacing on the large flat stone by the water but his energy was starting to fail him. Sitting down he bowed his head and pinched at the bridge of his nose. It didn't help, he found himself hyperventilating from the stress of not knowing what was going on.

There was a sudden quick flash of light that caused Jack to jerk violently. He looked over at the energy field and discovered a large crowd. It was the 'weekend' again and the curious visitors were pouring in to stare at the oddity. There was another flash as someone else stole a picture.

Suddenly blinded with fury Jack jumped to his feet and threw his shoulder into the barrier. The aliens outside backed away from the aggressive display slightly, but in general they seemed amused. Jack barred his teeth at them and slammed into the hard barrier again. He battered himself against the immovable field until he was physically too exhausted to continue.

Jack raked his bloodied hands through his hair and screamed as separation anxiety and sleep deprivation started to steal what was left of his sanity. He sat down cross legged on the stone facing the crowd. Their initial curiosity had turned to a kind of shared uneasiness. As a staff member came to usher them away a pale blue alien slipped away from the pack and knelt down in front of Jack.

Staring at the floor Jack didn't notice the dragon. She tapped on the glass several times before he looked up at her. He furrowed his brow in confusion while looking at her. Her skin wasn't a colour he recognized, but her eyes were very familiar. She was wearing a long sleeved outfit and when she saw that he was looking at her she put her palms on the 'glass'. When Jack saw that her hands were pink he scrambled to his knees and pressed his hands against hers.

"Ser'in!" Jack cried. "Ser'in, what's happening? Where is she?! Where's Samantha?!"

Tears slipped down Ser'in's blue face and washed off some of the paint on her scales causing bright pink streaks to show on her face. She reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a piece of folded paper. Unfolding it she pressed it against the glass. Jack scanned it quickly, he didn't understand any of the writing but there was a large picture in the middle that looked like the gates of a zoo, with various creatures sculpted into the shiny metal.

"I don't understand...wait...is that...is that a different zoo?" Jack asked in horror. "No, no, no please tell me Va'lo didn't sell her! Ser'in, Ser'in help us!"

Neither Jack nor Ser'in noticed that two security staff members that were approaching. Ser'in cried out and dropped the paper as they took her by the arms. Although he couldn't hear anything through the barrier when Ser'in was hauled to her feet he could see that she had started shouting. The stunned crowd backed away, staring at her as though she was insane. As she fought to free herself Jack battled once again with the invisible wall.

"Let her go!" Jack screamed. "You can't do this to us! Is Ser'in the only one among you with a heart?!"

No one could hear Jack's cries. In fact the alien crowd was far more interested in the scene Ser'in was making. Like onlookers at a car accident they were fascinated by her arrest. Still on his knees with his palms against the clear wall Jack bowed his head in frustrated defeat.

"I'd rather starve to death together than live alone." Jack whimpered. "Even if you see us as animals...can't you understand that we need each other?"

With his eyes closed tight against the tears that still managed to escape Jack didn't see that there was one set of eyes glued to him. In the commotion the orange alien with the leather necklace stepped up to the piece of paper that Ser'in had dropped. Although Jack didn't notice the green eyed alien kissed his own hand and then briefly pressed it against the 'glass'.

Slipping the forgotten page into his book the fire coloured dragon turned around and disappeared into the crowd.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Still enveloped in a velvety darkness Sam sat curled up in the back of the kennel with her back pressed into the corner. It hurt to swallow from crying out for Ser'in to try and keep this from happening. She'd given up on that hours ago, it was clear that there was no one to hear her anymore. The gentle motion and humming sound let her know she was on the move, but where to was anyone's guess.

Staring into the darkness Sam allowed tears to trace down her cheeks. Part of her expected to wake at any moment, this seemed to nightmarish to be real. She wasn't sure if she'd wake up in her own bed or back in the jungle, she'd happily take either. It was impossible to tell how much time was passing in the sunless cage. She tried a few times to sleep, but she was unsure if she actually managed it or not.

Excited chattering jerked Sam out of her trance and she pushed herself a little harder into the corner. The edge of the blanket over the door was lifted and Sam blinked against the painful invasion of light. The alien muttered something and the lights in the room were dimmed. More easily adjusting to the lower light level Sam looked at the purple alien looking in at her.

The new dragon purred at her in a vaguely reassuring tone. Uninterested in being comforted Sam looked away. She wanted more than anything to just curl up somewhere and sleep. Every breath took effort as it worked against her heavy heart. She was so numb to the sudden separation that she no longer had the energy to be afraid or even upset.

The alien opened the door slowly and tried to coax Sam into coming out on her own. Sitting at the back of the cage Sam continued to stare at the floor. Part of her hoped that they would see the deep depression the transfer had sent her into and return her to Jack. Although her stomach was growling noisily she had already decided that they were going to have to force feed her if they wanted to keep her from starving herself to death.

When Sam made absolutely no move to come out of the cage the purple alien cautiously knelt down and leaned in to snap a leash on her collar. She tugged gently on the chain a few times before getting the help of two others to forcefully drag Sam out of the kennel. There were several more aliens in the room that held weapons, but Sam wasn't a threat right now. Once out and helped to her feet Sam stared sadly into the purple dragon's amber eyes.

"Esta fian te re'kin." The purple alien said reassuringly.

"No, the only way it's going to be 'okay' is if you send me back." Sam replied. "No matter your intentions, you're killing us both."

The purple dragon's eyes widened in shock at hearing Sam's complicated sentences. She turned to the others in the room and they started talking quickly back and forth. The purple dragon started asking her questions, but Sam didn't feel like trying to prove her intelligence all over again. It hadn't helped in the past and she doubted that it would help now.

The new dragon waited for Sam to repeat her vocal performance and when she didn't the alien just shrugged. After a quick exam Sam was lead down a series of unfamiliar hallways. Wherever she was now it didn't seem to be as large as the last zoo. However the scent of caged animals was the same and the noises were all familiar.

Opening a door the purple dragon stepped through it with her. She reached up and unsnapped the leash and left without a word. Sam stood on the leaf littered forest floor without moving for nearly an hour. Eventually her feet started to hurt from standing so she sat down in the same spot where she had been left.

Glancing around Sam found herself in the middle of a more traditional forest than the jungle she'd been living in. Unlike the circular cage this one was a more traditional box with much smaller dimentions. She guessed that from where she was sitting at the back wall it was only about two hundred feet to the glass viewing wall and about three hundred from end to end. The ceiling was solid black set with artificial lights about fifty feet up which allowed room for the oak like trees to grow.

There was a stream running down the middle of the forest scene, but it never pooled deep enough to swim in. Having inspected her environment as much as she cared to Sam pulled her knees up to her chest and stared at the thick ground cover of fallen leaves.

It wasn't until she heard those leaves crunching under a foot that she realized that she might not be alone. Her first thought was that she and Jack had both been moved to a new location, possible a tour of some sort. Snapping her head up in the direction of the noise Sam gasped sharply.

Until this moment Sam had felt that being alone was the worst fate that could befall her. Now she wanted nothing more than to be alone, it was far better than being with a stranger. Sam scrambled to her feet and backed away from the wild looking man that was watching her from about twenty feet away.

He looked human at first glance, but when she took in his features in a little more in detail he was a lot rougher around the edges that the modern humans she was used to dealing with. His long black hair and heavy forehead gave him a look of a human/Neanderthal cross. He seemed just as uncertain of her as she was of him and Sam decided that he must have been hiding this whole time.

"Uh...hello?"

The man titled his head to the side and growled at Sam. She took a few more steps backward and he took a few more towards her. His initial fear seemed to have been lost. Sam crossed her arms self consciously over her chest as he stared at her. The man closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath through his nose.

When he opened his dark eyes again they held a new glitter of excitement. Sam looked around in vain for a weapon of some sort. Whatever this creature's intelligence level he had clearly come to the conclusion that she was female and he had every intention of taking advantage of that fact. Scratching at his crotch he stepped closer with purpose. Sam set her feet apart to prepare for a fight and bared her teeth at him.

"Touch me and I'll _**kill**_ you." Sam spat vehemently.

Sam's heart started to race as he came closer. She knew there was no sense in running, it was better to hold her ground and fight. She suddenly wished she had gotten more sleep on the way here, even with the adrenaline of fear she was feeling slow and tired. Sam did her best to look aggressive and unapproachable.

Undeterred the man came closer. About ten feet away he stopped suddenly. It actually looked like he'd run into something. Sam relaxed a bit when he reached out and put his palm against an invisible barrier. Experimenting he could lace his fingers into it, but he couldn't step forward. It was like there was a grate between them. Enraged and frustrated the male started pacing along the fence.

When it was clear that he couldn't get through Sam backed as far away as she could. Quickly coming to the far back corner of the enclosure Sam watched as the man continued to hunt for a way to get to her. She only had about a few hundred square feet of the enclosure which made her think that the divide was temporary.

"It's only a matter of time."

Sinking to the ground Sam pulled her knees up to her chest again. Backed into the corner she watched the aggressive male pace restlessly. She could hear him panting for breath as his desire escalated to the point of being painful. Sam flinched as he screamed in rage at being kept from her. With all his muscles tensed he continued to test the strength of the unseen barrier.

Sam wondered if the aliens had ever tried this before, if this man had ever actually seen a female. She didn't doubt that he knew what to do with one, but she wondered if the dragons even realized that there was a good chance that he'd kill her during a violent rape. He wasn't interested in her ability to mother a child, his desires lay entirely in sexual release. Since she wasn't about to let him use her that way peacefully they were going to have a war on their hands when the barrier came down.

Closing her eyes for a moment Sam started to cry. Curling up tighter she tried to keep from trembling, but her fear was too intense to be controlled. The stalking male looked incredibly powerful and she was unsure what kind of fight she was going to be able to put up against him. As time passed she became less concerned about the chance of being murdered and more fearful of the fact that she would probably survive at least the first rape.

Sam looked up and noticed that there were several aliens watching with what looked like genuine concern. One even took their young one by the hand lead them away. Desperate for help Sam got up from the slight safety of the corner and made her way to to the glass. The man followed her every step, licking his lips and grinning at her.

Keeping to the far wall Sam knelt down directly in front of the glass and put her palms against it. Just as in the other world this barrier wasn't actually made of physical glass. Two of the aliens stepped away from the others and came over to her. They looked at her in confusion, and she didn't blame them. They had been used to seeing humans as the violent and mindless creature that was pacing just twenty feet away.

"Help me, please." Sam begged. "I'm not like him, he'll tear me apart. Please, even if I was just an animal you couldn't possibly just stand by and watch this."

One of the pair of aliens knelt down and stared at her. Sam searched the dragon's eyes for mercy and found it. The man suddenly howled like a wolf. Sam cowered away from him and started crying again. The deep green alien on the other side of the glass looked over at the man and his or her golden eyes filled with fear.

Hopeful that she had made a connection Sam huddled against the glass looking as pathetic as she felt. When a uniformed staff member came over to see what was going on the emerald alien stood up and started snarling at the staff. Sam couldn't hear what was going on but the green dragon was pointing at her and seemed to have launched into an impassioned speech.

The staff member looked from Sam to the man and furrowed his brow. He put his hands up to calm the green dragon and pulled out one of the communicator devices that Sam had seen Ser'in use before. It wasn't long before the purple alien that she had brought her was on the far side of the glass.

All eyes were on Sam now as the emerald dragon snarled and spat at the purple zoo keeper. After a few minutes of observation the purple alien made a final comment and disappeared. Sam held her breath and waited to see if the door to the enclosure would be opened. When she saw the slightest sliver of light coming from the wall she rushed over to it.

Not wanting to frighten the only hope she had to getting out of the dangerous forest Sam got down on her knees about ten feet away from the door. The purple dragon stepped inside and looked Sam over. Turning her amber eyes to the human she had cared for years she furrowed her brow.

"Please...far'is..."

The purple dragon jolted with shock upon hearing Sam use the reptilian language. Sam had never been give a chance to learn very many words, but she knew this one meant 'please'. After a moment of hesitation the dragon held her hand out. Sam got up slowly and walked over to take her hand. Looking just past the alien and into the hall Sam could see that there were three more standing just behind her that were heavily armed.

Sam was still shaking and when she took the purple dragon's hand the alien once again furrowed her brow. She reached out and put her delicate hand on Sam's chest and noted the pounding heart inside. Looking more and more concerned the purple alien led Sam away from the display and down the halls.

Sam never thought she'd ever be so grateful to see a barren cell. In the ten by ten cage Sam quickly made her way to the corner and sat down with her back against the wall. The stress of her close encounter overcame the adrenaline and Sam broke down into tears once again.

The purple dragon was mesmerized by her new acquisition. She sat down on the other side of the bars and stared at her. Eventually Sam managed to pull herself together. She took a deep breath and looked at the purple one and forced a brave smile.

"Gala...thank you."

To Sam's surprise the purple alien suddenly looked angry. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small communicator. Sam watched apprehensively as the dragon waited for the person on the other end to answer.

"Va'lo!" The alien snapped angrily. "Que rest me'hana te nee?!"

Sam's stomach turned at the mention of Va'lo. He must not have told this one about anything that had been happening. The purple dragon listened and then started to argue again. Sam watched devastated as the dragon's anger turned to a meek submission. The alien tried to plea her case but it seemed to Sam like Va'lo had hung up on her. Sighing heavily the alien looked up at Sam sadly.

"Dali."

"No, wait..." Sam got to her feet and rushed over to the bars. "I don't know what kind of deal you made with Va'lo, but please, please call Ser'in. Talk to her, please help me."

The purple alien got to her feet and called over one of the guards and gave him a set of orders. Sam backed up against the wall again, fearing that they were about to drag her back out to the display. Instead the guard called over two others and they disappeared.

Sam thought for a moment that she was safe until she heard angry snarling coming from down the hall. They already knew that their patrons didn't want to watch the rape, but they had made some sort of deal to ensure that they bred their male to her. When they brought him into sight he instantly stopped fighting against them, knowing that he'd get what he wanted sooner if he cooperated.

They had chained his wrists behind his back and had him tightly by the collar. Sam watched every move as they opened enough bars to let him inside.

Sam closed her eyes just long enough to take a deep breath. When she snapped them open again she pushed herself off the wall and rushed at the predator they were about to release. Before they had the chance to uncuff his hands through the bars Sam was upon him. Throwing all of her strength and her fear into one powerful blow Sam slammed her palm up into his face at a steep angle.

The man didn't even have a chance to cry out. Sam had shattered the bones in his face and forced enough of them into his brain to kill instantly. Bright red blood soaked her hand as she took a step away from him. The aliens were all frozen in horror as their prize male collapsed to the floor. One of them raised his weapon to kill her but the purple dragon stopped him.

Panting heavily Sam stared at them spitefully, daring them to punish her for defending herself with lethal force. The purple alien knelt down and reached through the bars to check the male's pulse even though it was obvious that he was dead. She looked up at Sam with an expression of pure disbelief.

"I'll do it again...only next time it will be one of you."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Jack sat in the cool moss under the pale blue moon with his back up against one of the large granite boulders. It must has been cloud cover that had hidden the moon from view last night because tonight it was so bright it dimmed the stars. Despite the clear night he wasn't watching the stars.

In Jack's lap was the last book that Sam had been writing. He was reading through the pages of calculations she had been writing down, trying to make sense out of them. Jack knew that they had something to do with faster than light travel, but only because when she had been working on them he had asked. Leafing through a few more pages he smiled at the ridiculous constellation they had named while they had been sitting in this very spot.

"There has to be fifty pages of these things." Jack said to himself.

Beyond the constellations were various drawings of the local vegetation. She had done detailed drawings of each of the flowers that he had brought to her over the past month. He smiled as he came to one that she had drawn from several different angles. It was an orchid type flower that only bloomed at night and it had been her favourite.

The book ended about one fourth from the end of the actually pages with the drawing of the orange dragon. She had done an excellent job of capturing him and had done several close up drawings of his necklace to ensure that he recognized it. Seeing the orange alien caused the muscles along Jack's shoulders to tighten. Jack had not noticed his return and right now he felt foolish for allowing his hopes be raised by the chance encounter.

Sighing heavily Jack went to close the book. As he flipped the back cover closed a page near the back caught his eye. He flipped through the blank pages at the back of the book and found a page that had writing on it. He read it silently a few times and decided to read it out loud as well.

_"Jack, you must be really bored if you're reading this. Well as long as you are I guess now would be as good a time as any for confessions. As I'm sure you've noticed I'm not the kind of person who believes that 'everything happens for a reason'. If anything I believe the exact opposite, in a Universe ruled by the laws of physics there is not a single predictable event, measurable phenomenon or mathematical formula that can be used to predict even the simplest of human fates. Daniel has even taught us that death itself is no longer a constant that anyone can depend on. _

_ So, if asked if I think we're in our current situation for a reason I would have to answer 'no'. However, just because I don't believe that things happen for a reason, doesn't mean I can't find reason __**in**__ things. I wouldn't want to go back to the way things were between us even if meant freedom. It was killing me, and here I can live with a new kind of freedom that gives everything new meaning. Now put this goddamn book down and go remind me of all the reasons why life here is better in so many ways."_

After staring at the page for nearly an hour Jack tore it out of the book. The odd paper acted much more like a plastic and did not come free easily. Once he had it in his hands he folded it into a small flat rectangle. Putting the page down for a moment he worked a thin strip of cloth free from the hem of his pants with the help of a small sharp rock. Using the cloth he tightly bound the folded page to the back of one of Sam's dog tags.

With the memento in place he leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes. If asked if he'd fallen asleep he would have said 'no'. However the sound of something heavy falling next to him jolted him awake. Jack looked over and in his half awake state saw a gigantic snake on the ground by his feet.

"Yaaaa!"

Jack scrambled away from the coiled reptile. Now perched up on the rock he'd been sleeping against he took a closer look at the invader. It didn't seem to be moving, or even alive for that matter. Upon closer inspection its neck stretched straight up...all the way to the opening in the ceiling.

"If I didn't know any better..."

Jack was cut off as a dark figure rappelled down the recently dropped line. Landing lightly on his feet the orange dragon looked around. When he spotted Jack sitting on top of the rock he barred his teeth at him in the same frightening way that Ser'in always tried to smile. Jack smiled right back at him.

"Hello."

"Ja'ck."

"That's right. And you are?"

"Tai."

"Tai...it's nice to finally meet you."

Tai's green eyes dilated and glittered with excitement. He held out his hand for Jack to take however Jack shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere unless it's to go get Samantha."

"Dak, dak, Saman'ta."

Tai reached into his breast pocket and brought out the crumpled and folded page that Ser'in had shown Jack before. Upon seeing the page Jack jumped down off the rock and rushed over to Tai. The dragon was careful to put the page back in his pocket before proceeding. Tai was wearing a harness of some description and a back pack.

He slung the back pack off and pulled out another harness that he offered to Jack. It was similar to gear Jack had used before except that he couldn't work the snaps with only one thumb on each hand. Tai smiled and offered his assistance with his dexterous hands. Tai snapped the gears on the front of the harness to the free end of the rope. He quickly demonstrated to Jack that if he pulled up on the rope the gears would catch the rope and wouldn't slide back down again.

"Got it, let's go."

"Dak."

"Wait... Gala, Tai, thank you."

Tai's eyes dilated once again and he smiled. The orange dragon put his hands over his head and started to haul himself back up towards the opening in the clear ceiling. Jack followed him once he was about ten feet ahead. When Jack got to the ledge there were several hands there to help him up. It was a little disconcerting to be fifty feet in the air with little more than an energy field between him and falling.

Looking up rather than down Jack was surprised to find five others on the roof. Since there was nothing to tie off on up on the large roof they had dug their clawed feet into the surface of the field and used themselves as an anchor point. A familiar face stepped to Jack, looking guilty.

"New friend's of your Ser'in?" Jack chuckled.

"Dali, Jaa'ck."

"You came through in the end, that's all that matters."

"Eris take mie." Tai whispered urgently.

"Right, now what?"

The others had already brought the rope up and stuffed it into another back pack. Tai took off his own harness and Ser'in helped Jack with his. Once everything was packed away Tai led the group over to roof access door. Jack noted that the edges of the doors had been melted by something. The maintenance halls didn't have the kind of security that the medical areas had and they easily made their way through the dimly lit halls.

Jack's heart jumped when he caught sight of a uniformed guard standing by an emergency exit door right in front of them. However, Tai and the others did not seem disturbed, in fact they headed straight for him. The guard stood in front of the door with his arms over his large chest.

Tai handed him a small bag that made a clinking sound of metal against metal as the guard closed his hand around it. Ser'in came up to the guard and gave him a kiss. The dragon's eye dilated until they were barely viable slits. He kissed Ser'in back and then punched his code into the door and let them pass.

Tai took Jack's hand and rushed him towards two odd looking vehicles. They jumped into the back of the one that looked more van like and Ser'in followed. The others climbed into the other waiting car. Once everyone was settled Tai gave the driver a quick whistle and they were off. Tai was breathing heavily, but he looked pleased with himself. Jack smiled brightly and shoved at Tai's shoulder playfully.

"Why do I get the feeling you've done this sort of thing before?"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Holding her breath Sam waited for the dragons on the far side of the bars to do something, anything. It wasn't until the purple dragon got to her feet that everyone seemed to break from the stunned shock they'd gone into. They raised the bars up just enough to remove the slain man and quickly closed them again. Since they didn't decide to shoot her on the spot Sam wandered over to the corner and sat down with her knees curled up to her chest.

A sudden sharp cry of anguish caused Sam to jerk violently. A pale yellow dragon came running onto the scene and fell to his knees by the dead male. He brushed at the man's hair and checked his pulse, tears slipping from his golden eyes when he found none.

"Lana..." The yellow alien looked at the purple one. "Lana, rek nehana?"

Lana looked at Sam and sighed heavily. The purple lizard gave the yellow one a quick explanation. The yellow one looked over at Sam, but didn't seem to believe what he had heard about her. Sam didn't feel guilty for having killed this dragon's pet, and had no regrets over her actions.

"You gave me no choice."

The yellow dragon turned away and continued to weep. Lana put her hand on his shoulder and had him help the others remove the body. Once he was gone Lana ordered two of the staff to guard the cell while she disappeared. When she returned she had a small rifle looking weapon in her hands.

"I was just defending myself, Lana."

The purple dragon's eyes widened once at the sound of her name. Sam got to her feet so that if she was going to be shot it would at least have a better chance of being clean. However Lana lowered the weapon for a moment and tapped on her chest.

"Lana." She repeated and then pointed at Sam.

"Sam."

"Sam."

"I have a name now. Are you still going to kill me?"

Lana raised the rifle once more and after taking aim she fired. Sam cried out as a sharp needle sunk into her thigh. She reached down and pulled out the dart, but it was too late. Whatever was in the dart brought her down to her knees quickly. Unsure if she was going to wake or not Sam laid down and fought to keep her eyes open. It was getting difficult to breath and after a few seconds her eyes rolled back and she lost contact with the world.

Sam woke to a pounding headache. She was unsure it she was pleased to be alive or not as she stared at the thin bars. Laying on her side Sam glanced around and found herself back in one of the small medical containment cages about four feet off the floor. Every breath took effort as the drugs still swam in her blood.

Moaning against the migraine Sam went to reach up to rub at her temples. She only got her hands up to about chest level before the chain bracelets on her wrists snapped tight. Feeling her stomach Sam found a thin leather belt around her waist that had chains connecting it to her wrists. Sam experimented and found her ankle had not been restrained.

"Bad news guys, I can kick with enough force to kill as well."

Sam's stirrings had been noticed. Lana stepped into view. She started asking all sorts of questions. Sam wondered briefly what made this dragon so much more open minded about her captive. However the fact that her head was splitting open and her wrists were in chains made Sam in no mood to chat. Sam rolled over on the cold metal floor of the cage to face away from Lana.

Trying to cross her arms over her chest to keep warm Sam was once again thwarted by the chains. Shivering from a combination of cold and stress Sam tried to keep from spilling anymore tears. She jolted violently when there was a sudden warm contact on her shoulder. Rolling over she found Lana pushing a blanket and a large pillow through the bars.

"Gala." Sam said sincerely as she took the gifts.

"Nekt ta."

Sam smiled and wrapped herself up in the fluffy blanket. Settling her aching head against the pillow she closed her eyes in an atempt to get some real sleep. Drifting in and out of sleep Sam wondered what Jack was going through being alone. Her guess was that he would start to tear the jungle apart out of rage.

As the lights went out on another night Sam took the pillow out from under her head. She threaded the pillow through the chains on her wrists so that she could hug it to her chest. The feel of having something in her arms helped the devastating loneliness some. She had thought that it was the drugs making it so difficult to breath, but that had been hours, possibly a full day ago.

The constriction in her chest had nothing to do with anything coursing through her blood. It was that same heartbreak that she had felt when she'd first been taken away. Now that the threat of the man was over she had time to think about her loss once again. Sam rubbed at the skin over her heart wondering why emotional pain played itself out on the circulatory organ. No matter the cause there was no denying the sensation. Closing her eyes against the sting of tears Sam slipped into a fitful sleep.

When the lights came back on Sam forced herself to sit up. She couldn't stand in the small cage, but she was tired of laying down. Sam tried to remove the leather belt, however she discovered that it was either locked in place or she simply didn't have the right hand configuration to work the latch. Sam huffed in frustration and blew her hair away from her forehead.

It was a few hours before Lana arrived again. She had a bowl of water and a plate of fresh fruits with her. She slid the bars up enough to place them in the cage. Take a few steps back Lana watched Sam with scientific interest. Sam glanced at the food and then looked through the bars at the purple dragon.

"Even if I was interested I tend to eat with my hands and you've really cut down my mobility."

When Lana continued to just stare at her Sam lifted up her hands to show her the problem. Lana sighed heavily and looked around to see if she was being watched. Still looking undecided about releasing Sam's wrists she took a step back. Sam sighed as well and leaned back against the back wall of the cage.

"Do you even know what you're going to do with me yet?"

Lana looked around again only this time she came closer. The dragon hesitantly put her hand into the cage and just stayed motionless for a moment. Sam was forced to smile at this test of trust.

"I'm not going to bite."

Tilting her head to the side Lana made a deep purring sound. Feeling more confident the purple dragon reached further into the cage. Sam held her wrists out in hopes that Lana would unlatch them from the belt. She had just put her scaled hands on the chains when an angry voice startled them both.

"Lana!"

"Va'lo!" Lana and Sam cried simultaneously.

Sam automatically tried to get to her feet and slammed into the top of the cage. Lana had jerked her hands out of the cage and backed away. Sam backed herself into the corner of the small space as best she could as panic overtook her already shaken senses. She couldn't help it anymore, Va'lo stepping into view caused her to tremble violently.

"Please, Lana, far'is, please don't let him take me..."

Lana stared at Sam and only turned away when an angry Va'lo touched her shoulder. She pulled away from him and he started to verbally assaulting her. While the pair fought Sam tried to take a few deep breaths and think about this logically.

"Va'lo is here to take me back..."

Sam tried to calm herself again and looked out at the arguing pair. They were both angry and had their eyes dilated into pinpoints. Va'lo barred his teeth at Lana and she cowered back.

"No...no, he'll just take me somewhere else to be bred. Only next time they'll take no chances, I'll be tied down and raped as many times as it takes. You can't let him take you."

Sam shook her head and pulled at the chains around her wrist.

"You belong to him, Carter, once it's over he'll take you back."

Breathing heavily Sam was talking quickly as she tried to force herself into a difficult decision.

"If you want to see Jack again...this is the only way...just survive...survive and fight another day..."

Swallowing hard Sam forced herself out of the corner and went to the bars. She reached out as far as she could towards Va'lo. The pair of dragons instantly stopped their argument and stared at her. Sam managed a weak smile and bowed her head submissively towards Va'lo. The green dragon snorted in triumph. He pointed at the cage combination lock and demanded that Lana open it. She looked at Sam and seeing that it was what she seemed to want Lana conceded and unlocked the cage.

Va'lo already had a chain leash in his hands. Lana had backed away in fright once the door was open, but Va'lo walked up to Sam with an arrogant confidence. When he snapped the leash to her collar Sam was seized by a breath taking panic attack. He pulled her out of the cage and she just barely managed to keep from falling.

Once she was steady on her feet Sam closed her eyes for a moment to keep from retching against the renewed anxiety. Va'lo barked an order at her that she knew meant to step forward, but she found herself frozen in place. When he jerked at the chain around her neck Sam started to pull backwards.

"I...I changed my mind..." Sam whimpered. "I can't..."

Va'lo yanked on the leash hard enough to bring Sam to her knees. With her wrists held to her waist by only a foot of chain she was unable to catch herself and she fell to the floor. When Va'lo tried to force her back to her feet Sam's instincts reacted before she could think things through. Using the momentum that he was providing Sam threw her shoulder at his stomach and dove them both to the ground.

"Calista!"

Sam was ready for Va'lo's reaction but it didn't keep the sudden loss of balance and the reeling dizziness from effecting her. Pushing her off Va'lo got back to his feet and came close to kicking Sam for her attack. The only thing that held him back was Lana's cry of rage. Sam closed her eyes against the nausea while the two dragons started to snarl at one another again.

The commotion had brought the rest of the early morning staff rushing into the scene. Now that she was backed by her staff Lana was braver about facing down Va'lo. She instructed one of the on lookers to go fetch something. Va'lo was still protesting, but now Lana was knelt protectively next to Sam.

As the vertigo wore off Sam looked up and saw someone giving Lana a file. Sam recognized the blue symbols on the folder as being the ones tattooed to her own neck. She and Jack had drawn each other's tattoos so that they could see them. Lana pulled out a piece of paper and held it out for Va'lo to read.

Va'lo only glanced at the paper, he clearly knew what it said. He had played this card so many times on Ser'in and he did not look pleased to have it pulled on him. However after a final snarl he back down. Sam watched him turn to leave and suddenly realized what it meant to have him go.

"No! Wait, Va'lo come back! I'm sorry, dali! Far'is!"

Sam tried to get to her feet but was quickly held down. She fought against the hands blindly until she felt the sharp pain of a needle. As the sedation tried to take a hold of her Sam continued to struggle. She felt them lift her off the floor and place her back onto the blanket in the small cage. Stepping into view Lana purred reassuring words and stroked Sam's hair before locking the cage and walking away. Sam could barely keep her eyes open, but she still managed to reach out and grip the bars.

"Wait, Va'lo, don't leave me here alone... I'll do anything to get back to him...I'll pay any price. Please, just...just give me another chance..."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Jack sat on the floor of the spacious vehicle as it made its way swiftly down what he could only assume was a highway. He had noticed that the van had wheels, however the way it simply hummed made him believe that it didn't have a standard combustion engine. He didn't really care how the machine worked, it just gave him something to think about other than the obvious.

Ser'in was sitting next to him rummaging through her back pack, making noises of frustration. Tai moved from place in the passenger's seat and sat down in front of her. When she failed to notice him he reached out and touched her arm. Ser'in yelped in surprise and drew back. When she saw who had touched her she muttered an apology.

Tai's eyes dilated as he made a purring chuckling sound. He asked her a question and she gave him an exasperated answer. Tai looked around and reached over to retrieve his own back pack. He pulled out several tools that looked a lot like lock picks. Ser'in made a noise of delight and took the thinest pick that had a needle like tip.

Jack gave her a wary look when she turned to him armed with the needle. She smiled and pointed to Jack's ear. Instantly understanding he turned his back on her and folded his ear forward. Jack felt a little sick to his stomach as she messed with the disk, however he had felt physically ill ever since Sam had been missing anyway so it was hard to tell if this new wave was because of the disk or not. Ser'in finished and tapped on his shoulder. Jack turned back around. Rubbing behind his ear he could still feel the disk.

"So it's off now?"

"Kanuri." Ser'in said the trigger word softly.

When the disk didn't activate Jack reached out and gave Ser'in a hug. She purred and Tai chuckled at them both. Ser'in suddenly looked as though she couldn't keep her eyes open. The past few days had taken their toll on her. It hadn't occurred to Jack until now that Ser'in must have given up everything to do this. She was a criminal now, she had stolen zoo property and was just as much on the run as he was.

Tai seemed to pick up on Ser'in's exhaustion as well. There were a few jackets stuffed under the passenger's seat which he retrieved. It took a little convincing but eventually Ser'in accepted Tai's offer of a lap to sleep in. She laid down using him as a pillow and he covered her in the jackets. Within moments she was locked in a deep sleep. Tai looked down at her with a familiar look on his alien face.

"You've had your eye on her for a long time, haven't you?" Jack asked softly.

Tai looked up at Jack and his emerald eyes told him the entire story. Turning his attention back to Ser'in Tai brought his hand up to touch her face. He hovered an inch above her scales, unable to bring himself to actually touch her in case she woke and took the contact the wrong way. Jack smiled as he watched the internal battle play out on Tai's face. He gently took Tai's wrist and pulled his hand away from Ser'in.

"Trust me, it's worth the wait."

Tai moved his head in the small circular pattern that the aliens used for 'yes'. Jack released his wrist and Tai put his hands down on the floor of the van. Ser'in stirred in her sleep, but feeling safe she nuzzled against Tai and settled down again. The fire coloured dragon stared down at her lovingly but did not attempt to touch her again.

Seeing the awkward first steps of a relationship made Jack more sharply aware of his own situation. He dragged his hands through his hair and closed his eyes against a persistent headache. His greatest fear was that Sam had been taken to some other human captive to be forcibly bred. His greatest hope was that it would end up being Daniel.

Jack felt guilty for wishing a lonely captivity on his best friend, but he also knew that Daniel wouldn't hurt her. If he had been captured and sold to someone else then there was a good chance that Sam was with a friend now. Even if Daniel had been driven insane by the solitude and didn't remember her she'd still be safe. Jack knew for a fact that there was no way anyone could break Daniel to the point where he'd rape.

Right now Jack didn't think too deeply on what the chances were that Daniel had been taken as well or what that might mean for Teal'c who would be unable to survive away from his drugs. At this moment in time he was just holding on to the thought that Sam was safe just to keep from losing what was left of his nerves.

As time passed Jack was finding it harder to keep his eyes open. Tai went to take one of the jackets off of Ser'in to hand to him but Jack stopped him. Jack simply put his back up against the wall of the van and crossed his arms over his chest. Falling asleep was not difficult, however nightmares quickly followed.

Jack woke with a violent jerk and lashed out at the hands holding him down. The chaotic nightmare had been spattered in blood and violent sex. Delirious and disoriented Jack continued to try and free himself from the hot hands on his skin. He was certain that he could save Sam from the fate his imagination had tortured him with if he could just get free.

"Jaa'ck," Ser'in purred soothingly "yee'ta, yee'ta."

Ser'in's voice helped to calm Jack and Tai released him. Sitting up Jack rubbed at his hand and found his knuckles were bloody. He looked up at the dragons, alarmed that he may have hurt one of them. However the blood was his own. Ser'in asked to see his hand and he gave it to her. After a brief inspection she reached into her back pack and pulled out a gauze pad and some liquid to clean the cuts he'd gotten from slamming his fist into the hard side of the vehicle.

"Dali." Jack said meekly.

"Kak nestre." Tai replied.

"I know 'kak' means 'no', so I'm going to assume that means 'don't worry about it'."

It wasn't until Ser'in had finished with his hand that Jack noticed how much light was streaming in through the rounded front windshield. Not only was it morning, but they had stopped. Getting to his feet Jack wandered up towards the front seats to get a look. They were in a large parking lot that was mostly empty. Looking over to the right Jack saw the metal gates of the zoo in the photograph that Ser'in had shown him.

The dragon that had driven them here was gone. Jack couldn't tell if the other car that had swept away the rest of the team had followed them here or not. Tai and Ser'in were discussing something that Jack hoped amounted to a plan of attack. When Tai went to leave Jack went to follow him but was stopped by Ser'in.

"I can't just sit here. Can't you put a leash on me and take me in as a pet or something?"

Jack had put his hands around his throat to illustrate his point which made Tai chuckle. The fire dragon said something that Jack loosely translated into 'I'll be right back'. Deciding that Tai was just going into the zoo for recon Jack settled back down. He looked over at Ser'in.

"Go with him, Carter will recognize you. It will make her feel better to know you're here."

Jack gave Ser'in a nudge towards Tai. She asked him something and he just pushed her towards Tai again. Tai held out his hand and after a brief hesitation she took it. Tai looked out the small back window that was set high in the door before opening it and stepping out with Ser'in.

Alone again Jack sat on the floor and waited for them to return. He hated waiting around, but he wasn't sure what else to do. Even if he could hide his face the way he walked gave him away instantly. Closing his eyes Jack attempted to mediate the way Teal'c and Daniel had kept trying to teach him. He'd never been very good at it then, and under stress he was incapable of it now.

Ser'in and Tai weren't gone nearly as long as Jack expected them to be. Sneaking back into the van they both looked unsettled. Jack wished he'd had the chance to learn their language. Being able to get any kind of news was better than having no idea what was going on. Tai sat down on the floor next to Jack and pulled his notebook out.

"Did you see her?" Jack asked anxiously. "Samantha..."

"Kak." Tai replied sadly.

Jack's blood turned to ice in his veins at the news. Tai started to draw a sketch in his book. When he was done he showed it to Jack in hopes that it would help him understand what was going on. It was a schematic drawing of the building. In a large room that Jack assumed was an exhibit was stick drawing of a human with a line through it.

"So there is a human exhibit, but no one's home." Jack guessed.

Tai guessed the Jack had understood and made a gesture for 'yes'. He then started drawing smaller rooms off behind the larger exhibit. He drew little circles in each one before crossing them out. Tai looked up at Jack and put his hands up helplessly.

"You think she's in a back room but you have no way of knowing where."

Tai flipped the page over and drew a picture of the moon.

"Wait till night."

Jack couldn't take anymore waiting, but he didn't see much choice. Just wading in during the middle of the day wasn't going to do anyone any good. Tai moved to the driver's seat and pulled the vehicle out of the parking lot. They drove to what Jack assumed was a public park just outside the zoo and parked there.

Once they were settled Tai seemed to suggest that they try and get some sleep. Jack wasn't tired in the slightest, but on the other hand he didn't know what else to do. Everyone settled in and tried to nap the day away. Just before sunset Tai left and brought back dinner for everyone. Jack had no appetite, but he ate half of the oddly constructed sandwich anyway. Several hours after nightfall Jack started to get seriously restless.

"Do we have a plan or are we just going wing it?"

Tai and Ser'in looked at one another and started talking. If they had a plan Jack had no hope of understanding it. It seemed like the rest of the team wasn't ready to make an assault on this particular zoo and were nowhere to be seen. Eventually Tai turned back to Jack, he pointed at his own eyes and then pointed in a scanning pattern.

"Yeah, scoping the place out is great and all...but ever minute Carter stays in there alone the greater the chance something is going to happen to her."

Tai seemed to generally understand Jack from his tone, but just repeated his gesture. It was nearing midnight when Tai went to leave alone. Jack and Ser'in both protested and in the end Jack was forced to take a hold of Tai's wrist.

"I'm coming with you, end of story." Jack growled.

Tai looked to Ser'in for support, but she seemed to have the same opinion. Sighing in defeat Tai agreed. He made sure no one was around before beckoning them to follow. The zoo was not built like a fortress. In fact even the metal gates had plenty of room for them to slip under. The three of them quickly made their way towards the back of the main building.

Unlike the other zoo they had no obvious point of entry here. Not sure of what else to do they walked around the back till they came to a door. While Tai rummaged through his pack for his lock picks Jack wandered up to the door. Running his hands along the edge he noticed small scorch marks around the complicated lock.

"Guys...I think someone beat us to it." Jack announced as he swung the door open.

Tai make a small noise of shock and looked around nervously. He and Ser'in suddenly looked like they suspected a trap. For all Jack knew there was one, but that didn't stop him from boldly stepping inside. Tai clearly wanted Ser'in to go back and they started to have a whispered argument. Jack had noticed that this race was quick to snarl and snap at one another. It was hard to decide if they saw it the same way that humans saw such interaction.

Personally Jack didn't really care. He nudged them both and gave them a sign to zip it and just hurry along. The chastised dragons bowed their heads and followed quietly. Tai was holding Ser'in's hand they quickly took the lead. However as they walked past one of the hallways Jack suddenly stopped.

Without knowing why Jack turned down the corridor and unwittingly separated himself from the others. As he wound his way through the hallways he became more and more confident in his path even though he was losing track of how to get back to the exit.

Coming to a cross hallway Jack stopped cold for a moment. There was an odd sound coming from the right. A quiet choking sound that sent a chill down Jack's spine. The noise of nearly silent violence froze him to the spot. Shaking his head Jack purposefully made his way towards the sickening sound.

The noise was coming from an open doorway and Jack cautiously peeked inside. When he took in the scene his heart nearly failed him. The sound was coming from Va'lo who had been pinned to the bars of a small cage by a thin metal chain around his throat. He had his fingers inside the noose which was the only thing between him and death.

However it was a battle that he looked like he was going to lose. Sam had thrown the leash she had been wearing outside of the cage to catch her prey and was determined to kill him. Lana had freed her wrists, but the dragon had not removed the leash and ended up leaving Sam armed. She was shaking with a combination of effort and fear as she tried to tighten the chain by pulling back with her hands while her bare feet were pushing on the bars.

"Samantha, no!"

Sam didn't even look up at him. All of her concentration was being poured into murdering Va'lo up against the bars that held her prisoner. Her aqua eyes were completely glazed over and Jack doubted that she even knew what she was doing. Pushed too far she was far more dangerous than the average person, as a broken soldier she had all the instincts of a killer. As much as Jack hated Va'lo he knew that if Sam killed one of the dragons there would be no saving her from their wrath.

"Major Carter!" Jack barked. "Release him at once, that is an _order!_"

"Col...Colonel?"

"Release him, Major."

"Yes, Sir." Sam replied automatically.

Sam dropped the chain and moved to the back of the cage. Pulling her knees up to her chest she just rested her head against the metal wall of her prison. Blood ran freely down her neck from behind her ear and was soaking her shirt. Jack guessed that she must have torn her disk out herself.

Va'lo slipped to the floor coughing and sputtering. He rubbed at his throat and then looked up at Jack. His pale green eyes stared at Jack in shock. There was a tense moment as the dragon got to his feet. Jack had no idea that he was the one who had broken into the facility and that he had no more right to be here than Jack himself. There was a weapon at his feet, but he made no move to retrieve it.

Va'lo looked back at Sam who was as harmless as a kitten now. Turning back to Jack he took a step towards him before hesitating. Looking around nervously he suddenly bowed his head in what looked like defeat.

"Gala, Jac'k." Va'lo whispered.

"You're welcome, Va'lo."

Without looking at Jack again Va'lo turned and left, grateful to have his life. Jack briefly feared that the snake was just running off to get reinforcements, but he didn't care. With Va'lo gone Jack walked up to the bars. Sam continued to stare sightlessly at nothing while tears traced down her face. Jack reached through to touch her but he froze when her whole body stiffened with fright.

"It's alright, Samantha, I'm here."

"I can't, I can't..." Sam chanted in a hollow voice.

"Carter?"

"I can't make this decision...I can't..." Sam whimpered. "Don't make me choose...I want so much to go back to him, but I can't...I can't bring a child into this life...but I can't stop it...what do I do? I can't..."

"Samantha, please..."

Jack stopped when he realized that his words weren't reaching her. Sam stopped muttering and broke down into true tears. Jack closed his eyes tears slipped down his own face. Sam was trembling harder as the seconds passed by. Jack sighed heavily and fell back on trying to connect with her through her deeply ingrained training.

"Major?"

Sam didn't respond this time.

"Major Samantha Carter?" Jack said more firmly.

"Y...yes, Sir?"

"I need you to lay down, is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good, do it."

Sam nodded vaguely. She slowly untangled herself and followed the simple orders. Laying down on her back she looked up at her own reflection in the shiny metal ceiling. She was still shivering like she'd been left out in a cold autumn rain. Sam suddenly arched her back against some internal anguish.

"Carter, I need you to give me your hand." Jack said softly.

"What's happening?"

"You're hurt and need help, but everything is going to be okay. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

Every time Sam answered she calmed slightly. After taking a deep breath she lifted her hand up. Jack reached into the cage slowly and took her hand. She winched at being touched, but she didn't pull away. He moved her arm gently so that he could press her palm against his chest. He kept his own hand over hers to hold it in place.

"I need you to relax as much as you can, if you start to fall asleep that's fine, sleep. Close your eyes, just concentrate on my heartbeat, try and match my breathing."

"Yes, Sir."

Sam didn't question the unusual orders. She took a deep shuddering breath and closed her still tearing eyes. Jack closed his own eyes and started trying to slow his own racing heart to help transfer the calming energy to her. Sam's trembling began to lessen as she matched her breathing rhythm to Jack's perfectly.

With his eyes closed and his full attention on Sam Jack didn't even notice the purple dragon who had stepped into the door way. Lana watched the pair silently and did nothing to interrupt or interfere. Sam turned her head to face and opened her heavy eyelids. Seeing Jack a slight smile touched her lips. She looked on the edge of passing out. Encouraging her to sleep Jack reached his free hand into the cage and brushed her cheek with the delicate touch of a butterfly's wing.

"Colonel?" Sam asked sleepily.

"Yes?"

"Are you really here?"

"Yes."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"I need you...don't leave me."

"Undomesticated equines couldn't drag me away."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-one

Jack watched as Sam began to surrender to sleep. She was trying her hardest to keep her eyes open and focused on him, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for her. He stroked her hair and she sighed contently. When she finally lost consciousness Jack rested his forehead on the bars and groaned quietly.

He'd found her and yet bars still separated them. Jack knew he needed to go find Ser'in and Tai, however, his promise not to leave Sam kept him rooted to the spot. He was still holding her hand against his chest and feared what would happen if he pulled away.

A low purring sound caused Jack's already labouring heart to slam against his chest. Even in her sleep Sam sensed the change and knit her brow in concern. Turning towards the sound Jack discovered that they were being watched. The purple dragon was standing in the door way, a rifle held casually in one hand. Jack pressed his chest against the bars and grabbed onto one of them with his free hand.

"If you've been watching us for any length of time you must know what is happening here."

Jack tensed as Lana moved closer. She stopped and placed the tranquilizer gun on the floor before proceeding. Jack watched her every move as she came just close enough to reach the colour coded lock. He memorized the combination as she caused the bars to slide open.

"Gala." Jack said quietly.

Although he knew that it would be smarter to get into the cage with Sam rather than take her out he couldn't bring himself to accept willing captivity. Lana did not stop him as he gathered Sam up, blanket and all, into his arms. The blood from where she had torn out the disk was starting to dry, but it still stuck to his shirt and skin as he held her tight.

Sam stirred as she was moved. Throwing her head back she screamed with a heart rendering cry. Jack hurried over to the corner and sat down. Cradling her on his lap with one arm he used the other to touch her cheek in an attempt to sooth her. Although she wasn't fighting against him Sam trembled with fear.

"Carter, look at me."

"Jack?"

"Right here."

Opening her eyes Sam stared up at Jack anxiously. Jack flashed her a bright smile and Sam instantly returned it. Struggling to sit up Sam threw her arms around Jack's neck and hugged him with surprising strength. He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight enough to stop anyone from ever separating them again. Sam nestled her head under his chin and they both closed their eyes to enjoy the calm in the middle of the storm.

When he opened his eyes again he noticed that the purple dragon was still just watching them. However she did have a communicator in her hand and it was squawking at her. Jack was distracted from Lana as Sam suddenly slid her hands down his ribs, down his stomach and started to work at the waistband of his pants. Before she could get very far he gently took her wrists in his hands.

"What are you doing?"

"If I'm going to be forced to have a child I want you to be the father." Sam explained breathlessly. "I asked for a second chance...this is that chance. I never wanted it to be like this, but I can't face being separated again. I killed a man to get this chance..."

Sam was talking quickly and gasping for breath. Jack used his hold on her wrists to pull her arms up and wrapped them around his waist. He gathered up as much of the blanket as he could and draped it over her shoulders. Sam curled up tightly against him and laid her head on his chest. Too exhausted to cry she just took shuddering breaths.

"No one is forcing you into anything." Jack assured. "I promise I won't let it happen."

Sam nodded, but she didn't relaxed. Jack rubbed between her shoulder blades and waited for her to settle. Although she continued to shake her breathing slowly returned to a more normal cadence. Jack smoothed out her disheveled hair as tears traced down his face.

Jack waited until he was sure that Sam felt safe before looking up to face the dragon that had them cornered. Lana's eyes were dilated and when he looked at her she purred. Jack didn't trust it, she could just as easily be pleased that she had a new exhibit as anything else. Lana didn't take her eyes off them until there was a loud disturbance out in the hall.

Va'lo came striding into the room with two security guards following him. He glared at Sam and Jack, apparently having already forgotten how close to death he'd been before Jack stepped in. He pointed at them and started barking orders. Jack tightened his hold on Sam and she did the same.

"He tried to steal me." Sam whispered.

"Steal?"

"There is some sort of contract that give Lana ownership of me and so he came tonight to just take me."

Jack wanted some way to make the others understand this, but he quickly realized that he didn't have to. Before the guards could move in on them Lana changed the orders. Va'lo roared in rage as they took a hold of him and tightly cuffed his hands behind his back. Lana made a snarling accusation that Jack could only assume was about the attempted theft. Sam gripped two handfuls of the back of Jack's shirt.

"What's happening?" Sam asked.

"I think Va'lo's going to be spending some time in a cage of his own."

Va'lo was still snarling and spitting curses as he was taken away. Lana had a look of self satisfaction on her reptilian face. Jack was just starting to wonder what the next move was going to be when a lone security officer brought Tai and Ser'in onto the scene. Ser'in was in tears and had her head bowed. Tai looked like this wasn't the first time he'd been caught red handed. They were unrestrained so he reached out and put his arm around her shoulders. Lana looked the pair over and sighed heavily. She turned to the security guard and ordered him away. Stepping up to Tai she studied him for a moment.

"Tai, ya tiska nen." Lana said.

Tai looked shocked that Lana knew his name. She saw his reaction and purred. Jack recalled the first time an unknown Goa'uld had known SG-1. It was a strange feeling of fear mixed with pride, knowing that your work was being noticed by the bad guys. Lana looked at Ser'in and made a clucking sound like an old mother hen.

"Es repetic dis ack, Tai. Huat, you Ser'in?"

"Dali, Lana." Ser'in said meekly. "Jaa'ck ye Sam'an'ta, kest...er...kest tremp...."

"Dan ka." Lana interrupted.

Ser'in's eyes widened in shock. She looked up at Lana for the first time and saw that her colleague was on her side. Lana's eyes dilated and she offered her hand to Ser'in. Rushing up Ser'in took Lana's hand and pulled her into an awkward looking hug. Untangling herself Ser'in ran over to Jack and Sam and knelt down in front of them.

Jack reached out and hauled Ser'in into a group hug. The pink dragon yelped in surprise, but then purred and hugged the pair back. Tai took Lana's hands and kissed them before giving her a deep bow. She gave him some advice and he took it gratefully.

Tai game over to the group and helped Ser'in to her feet. The fire dragon offered to carry Sam but Jack wasn't about to let go of her. It was a struggle to get to his feet, but he managed it. Still wrapped up in the thick blanket Sam put her arms around Jack's neck and held on for dear life. Lana escorted them broken exit but had to turn her back when they got there so that she wouldn't be witnessing a crime.

"Lana, gala, gala." Ser'in thanked her sincerely.

"Re'ni car, Ser'in."

Tai hurried Ser'in out the door and thanked Lana as well. Tai let Jack know that everything was clear. Jack stepped out into the zoo grounds. When they got to the ornate metal gate Jack found a gap large enough for him to step through with Sam in his arms. Free of the zoo Jack nudged Sam with his nose.

"Hey, look up." Jack whispered.

"What is it?" Sam asked as she leaned her head back to look at the dark sky.

"The stars, a full view, no bars, no glass. Just stars."

"They're beautiful."

"So are you."

Sam chuckled weakly and pulled herself up to kiss Jack's cheek. Tai took Ser'in's hand and guided them all back to the waiting vehicle. It wasn't until Jack was sitting on the floor and they were moving that he started to feel truly free. He laid down on his back so that Sam could lay on his stomach rather than the cold metal floor.

Settling her head against his chest Sam moaned, however it wasn't a sound of distress. It was a deeply contented sound, like the kind someone makes when they wake up for work and realize that they have the day off before they get out of bed. Jack ran his hands gently up and down her back. He was close to passing out himself, but he couldn't keep himself from touching her to assure himself and her that they were together again.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

"No...just curious."

"That's the Carter I know." Jack smiled.

Sam struggled to push herself up onto her elbows. She leaned in and engaged Jack in a passionate kiss. He carded his fingers into her short hair and returned the affection. The pair paused twice for breath before eventually having to stop because Jack could no longer keep from chuckling. Sam laid back down and hugged his ribs.

"Carter?"

"Yes?"

"Nothing..."

Sam pinched Jack's ribs to prod him into finishing his thought. Jack smiled and took a deep breath.

"Samantha Carter, will you marry me?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

"I'm thinking you'll never answer."

"Yes."

Jack chuckled and held her tighter for a moment. When he released her they were both so close to passing out that there was no point in trying to fight it anymore. Jack waited until Sam slipped away and made sure that she didn't fall prey to any nightmares. When Sam continued to sleep with little more than a few twitches Jack joined her in a dreamless sleep.

"Ja'ck? Saman'ta?"

"Go away." Jack muttered.

"JaaAaa'ck." Tai repeated in a sing song tone.

"Go away." Sam mumbled.

"Saam'aan'tah." Ser'in joined in.

"They're not going to leave us alone, are they?" Jack sighed.

"Probably not."

Sam sat up, straddling Jack and decided to lean in for a kiss. The motion caused her to put more of her weight on his hips. Jack accepted the kiss but pushed her up off him with a chuckle.

"Careful, Carter, I'm a gentleman...but I'm still male."

Sam smiled and allowed Jack to sit up. He noticed that it was twilight, but he couldn't tell if it was sun set or sun rise. Tai opened the back doors of the van wide without hesitation. He offered his hand to Ser'in and helped her out of the vehicle. Looking in at the still sleepy pair he beckoned to them.

Sam got to her feet and helped Jack do the same. His back was killing him from laying on the floor for so long. Tai helped them both out of the van and when Jack looked up all he could do was stare. He heard Sam's breath hiss across her teeth.

"Ser'in, this one is a keeper." Jack chuckled.

Ser'in was just as shocked as the humans at Tai's home. Set in a sprawling tropical garden the comparatively modest house blended in perfectly with the base of a large banyan tree. There was a high natural stone wall that could be seen off to one side that disappeared into the jungle. Jack assumed that it formed a kind of privacy fence.

A natural stream wound around the house and into the expansive backyard. It had the feel of being hundreds of miles away from everyone and anything. Far from the prying eyes of tourists brightly coloured birds and other creatures were milling around the courtyard eating at the vegetation and various feeding stations. When the group stepped forward the animals disappeared back into the jungle, proving that they still lived wild.

"It's just beautiful." Sam said.

"It really is...although a lot like the cage we just escaped from."

"Yes but here there's no one watching our every move."

"And I have the feeling that if we could leave if wanted to." Jack nodded.

As if understanding what Jack had said Tai tapped on his shoulder and pointed back down the road. The large stone wall ended on either side of the road and there was no gate in between. Any creature on the property was free to leave at any time. Stepping inside Jack and Sam did another double take.

"Whoa." Jack said stunned.

"Whoa is right."

"It's like we've found Daniel's reptilian doppelganger." Jack chuckled.

The inside of Tai's house was lined floor to celling with books of all sizes and ages that rested on dark natural wood shelves. Statues and trinkets of all different kinds were scattered around. The parts of the walls that didn't have shelves had art and artifacts hanging from them. There was little in the way of furniture on the lower level of the open home, but what was there looked very comfortable.

Ser'in came up to Sam and brushed at the drying blood on her throat. Sam accepted Ser'in's help. After asking for directions Ser'in guided Sam upstairs to one of the bathrooms. Tai brought Jack into his bedroom and offered him some new clothing and a shower. When Sam and Ser'in returned from upstairs they had both changed and Sam was no longer wearing her collar or the chain bracelets.

Sam looked somewhat out of place in the natural beige coloured dress that wasn't quite made for a human figure. However she looked very comfortable and undeniably beautiful. Ser'in was wearing a similar dress that fit her frame well. Ser'in came up and thanked Tai, she gave his cheek a quick nip and his eyes dilated into thin slits. Jack assumed that Tai had left the clothing upstairs for the women.

Jack and Sam made themselves comfortable on the plush deep red couch while Tai and Ser'in busied themselves in the kitchen. Jack studied Sam as she seemed to become lost in thought. He touched her cheek and she jolted in fright.

"I'm sorry." Sam apologized.

"Don't be. Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

"How can I help?"

"You've done so much already."

"But something specific is bothering you now."

"I...I don't remember exactly everything that happened while we were apart." Sam admited quietly. "I can't figure out what was real and what I dreamed during the times that they drugged me. There's so much confusion, chaos...violence. I don't know if I can trust my memory. I'm still trying to piece together what was going on when you arrived, I think I was trying to kill Va'lo..."

"You were."

"How did you stop me?"

"It doesn't matter. Va'lo is not what is upsetting you."

"No, it's the man. I killed him, I know I did, that's too vivid not to be real. I just don't know if...if anything else happened before that or if it was just nightmares that came after." Sam admitted. "I was there to bred, what if..."

"I love you just the same." Jack said with a sad smile. "If you're carrying a child now that child is mine...no matter who the father is."

Sam nodded and tried to force a smile. She was still upset and was shaking slightly again. Jack drew her into a comforting embrace and held her close. There was a spicy scent coming from the kitchen as the dragons made dinner. The warm air in the richly colour home was soothing Jack, but Sam didn't seem able to truly relax.

"It's going to take time, Samantha, and there is nothing wrong with that. We have overcome everything that's happened so far and we'll cross the next bridge when we come to it."

Tai and Ser'in chirped at the pair to let them know that dinner was ready. Jack and Sam both found themselves far hungrier than they thought they'd be. The food was completely vegetable based, which didn't surprise Jack at all. Even the necklace that Tai wore that Jack had thought was leather proved to be a dark kind of hemp like material.

After everyone had eaten Tai showed Sam and Jack to cozy guest room. He seemed to offer Ser'in his room and made himself comfortable on the couch. Ser'in and Tai were clearly ready for bed, however Sam and Jack had slept the entire ride here, which had been a long trip. Jack took Sam's hand and guided he toward the back porch door.

Even though it was a simple thing Jack noted how wonderful it felt to step through a doorway on his own free will and not have to worry about anyone stopping him. The moon was half full tonight and cast a cool blue light on the jungle. There was a small area that had been cultivated behind the house to look more like a traditional floral garden.

There was a small arched bridge that went over the stream that ran through the garden. On the other side was a secluded glade that held what looked like a hammock made of silk. Jack helped Sam into the hammock and laid down next to her on his back. Laying on her side Sam settled next to him with her head resting on his chest. Jack put one foot out on the ground so that he could rock them. They silently watched the stars while the moon climbed higher in the night sky.

"Feeling better?" Jack asked quietly.

"Yes. However..."

Sam rolled up onto Jack's chest and kissed up his throat until she found his lips. Jack ran his hands down her sides and snaked them around her waist. Becoming more passionate Sam tugged up Jack's shirt so that she could put her hand on his bare skin. This was no longer an act of innocent affection, this was an active request.

"Samantha..."

"I want this." Sam interrupted. "No...more than that, I need this."

"Need?"

"I have to erase the doubt, this way if I end up pregnant there is the same chance that it is yours as some stranger. Also you mentioned the fact that you may be a gentleman but you're still male. Well, I'm not a 'lady'...however I am certainly female and contrary to popular belief: we have needs too."

"Sama..."

Sam left no more room for arguing. She cut him off with a deep kiss that made Jack forget his own name, let alone any reservations he may have. Jack went to roll her over and ended up rolling them both too far and right off the other side of the hammock. Jack landed on his back on the soft moss covered ground with Sam on his stomach.

Without missing a beat the pair continued to enjoy one another's flesh. The experienced was heightened by the fact that they weren't attempting to take from one another, it was an act of giving and a simple need for union. Breathing audibly Jack pressed his palm against the delicate curve of Sam's lower back. She made a quiet, breathless cry that sent a powerful shock down Jack's spine. Arching his back he mimicked Sam cry with a deep moan of his own.

The passionate vocalization had a similar effect on Sam. Leaning down she bit down on the place where his neck met his shoulder. Jack retaliated kissing at her bare shoulder, unaware of when or how exactly the dress had been removed. Staying on his back he peacefully allowed Sam to dictate the events and followed her lead.

Eventually pushed over the edge Sam clawed her fingers into Jack's shoulder and whimpered at the sudden complete loss of control that was instantly followed by a wash of ecstasy. Jack weld his eyes shut to the point of seeing stars as he joined her in the complete release.

Panting for breath Sam smiled brightly and laughed. It was the first time in as long as Jack could remember that he heard her truly laugh. Not a hollow, forced chuckle, but a musical and carefree sound. Jack smiled and ran his hand through her sweat soaked hair. She settled down in the cool moss next to him and took a minute to catch her breath.

"I could stay here forever." Sam said dreamily.

"Good...cause we might have to."

"No, I can get us home."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Sam replied confidently. "If you can manage to find and me and bring me back, then I can find a way to get us home."

"I didn't find you, I was brought to you."

"I didn't mean finding me physically..."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-two

Sam woke up slowly unsure of where she was or what was going on. A rush of warm air across the back of her neck reminded her of everything. Wriggling her shoulders she worked her way deeper into the soft bed and enjoyed the feeling of Jack's breath on her neck. Although still sleeping Jack automatically tightened his hold around her waist.

Taking a deep breath Sam settled into a pleasant space between waking and dreaming. She had feared that after last night that everything would change and there would be an awkwardness wedged between them. However she felt no guilt for her actions and felt closer to Jack than ever before.

Jack didn't seem to hold any regrets either. As he woke his kissed at her shoulder and then gentle bit down on her neck. Sam chuckled and tried to free herself from his embrace. Jack growled in protest and snaked his other arm under her to completely cage her in his arms. When she continued to playfully try to writhe away Jack put his leg over her hips. Sam gave in and pressed her self against him.

"Mine." Jack chuckled.

"I see how it is." Sam smiled. "I've traded one owner for another?"

"Hmmm...I didn't really mean it that way."

"Apology accepted."

"Good."

Sam laughed and managed to roll over within Jack's embrace to face him. He instantly kissed her. Lost in a passionate kiss the pair didn't even notice how bright the day was growing outside. Not that it really mattered, they had no where to be and nothing to do. Sam leaned back to look at Jack.

"I'm getting my memories back, the chaos is starting to settle."

"Good."

"Most of what I thought happened were just nightmares. I should have been able to figure it out sooner."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because half of the memories are in colour and the other are in black and white."

"You don't dream in colour?"

"No, or if I do the memories of the color fades upon waking."

"As long as your feeling better that's all I care about."

"I am." Sam smiled. "It feels so wonderful to be free."

Jack demonstrated his agreement by rolling Sam over onto her back and pinning her to the sheets with another kiss. Eventually they decided that they were going to have to get out of bed sometime. After a long shower together they stepped out into the main house.

Tai and Ser'in were sitting in two large plush chairs that were more like bean bag chairs in a supporting frame. They had been talking quietly and when Ser'in caught sight of Sam and Jack she suddenly looked embarrassed. Tai furrowed his brow and then looked over his shoulder at the new comers.

"Ja'ck, Saman'tha, tret na'tack." Tai greeted.

"Good morning." Sam replied.

"Good mour'ing." Tai repeated. "Tret na'tack."

"Tret na'tack." Sam imitated.

"I'm too old for a new language, Carter."

"I bet now that someone is willing to teach us we pick it up a lot quicker than you'd think."

Jack still looked skeptical. He led Sam over to the couch and they settled in together. Jack sat with his back against the arm rest so that he could put his legs up on the couch. Sam sat between his legs, leaning her back against his chest. Tai said something to the group and went into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a large tray that held as assortment of baked goods and four small cast iron cups with what looked like a tea kettle.

"I bet there is no chance that there's coffee in there."

"Oh...coffee," Sam breathed in remembrance "I miss coffee so much."

"Personally I could use a beer. However any change from water would be nice."

Sam and Jack munched happily on a few of the pastries. Tai poured a pale green liquid out of the kettle into each of the cups. He gave one to each of his guests and then settled down with a cup of his own. Sam tasted the hot liquid and found it surprisingly spicy. Jack seemed to approve of the warm beverage and drank it quickly. He put the cup down on the near by table and giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"I have no idea." Jack chuckled. "Just...feeling good."

Sam shook her head sadly and continued to sip at the hot brew. It wasn't long before she started to feel a little light headed. There was something happening to her shoulder, but she was having trouble figuring it out. Looking down she saw that Jack was actually chewing on her. Caught in the act Jack blushed and started laughing.

Sam found herself giggling as well. She went to put the cup down and completely misjudged where the table was. The cup fell to the floor and for reasons she didn't understand she found it absolutely hysterical. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist, rested his forehead against her should and laughed until he was crying. With her senses swimming Sam leaned her head back and joined him in the inappropriate mirth.

Looking over at the dragons Sam noticed that they were both looking at them with concerned looks on their faces. This was also a great source of amusement and it wasn't long before Sam's ribs were sore from laughter. Tai got up and slowly walked over to the fallen cup. Picking it up he sniffed at it and then at his own cup. He turned to Ser'in and shrugged.

"Oh my god..." Sam panted through her tears "we've been drugged, Sir."

"What?"

"The tea." Sam stopped and tried to catch her breath. "It's a narcotic of some sort, like...uh...what's that stuff...marijuana."

"I was wondering why I was thinking about Boot Camp all of a sudden." Jack giggled.

"You smoked pot at the Academy?" Sam asked shocked.

"I didn't go to the Academy until later...no this was just when I first enlisted...like a zillion years ago."

"You're not that old." Sam admonished with a tittering chuckle. "It was only a few hundred years ago."

"Hey!"

Jack followed up his protest by tickling at Sam's sides. She squawked in surprise and tried to retaliate. They battled one another until they were completely helpless with mirth. Laughing so hard she could barely breath Sam buried her face in her hands and tried to pull herself together. Jack turned what he thought was an accusing look at Tai.

"T...buddy...what the hell did you give us?"

"Wen'ris." Tai replied with a shrug.

Ser'in came over and put her hand against Sam's forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever. Sam took Ser'in's hand and gave it a kiss. Tai and Ser'in exchanged worried glances. When Jack reached out to get the tea kettle Tai pushed it out of his reach. Tilting his head to the side Jack stared at the kettle as if he couldn't understand how it suddenly became out of reach.

"Carter, status report?"

"Floating on air, Sir."

"Yeah, me too, what the hell is going on?"

"The tea, the tea is drugged or it is a drug."

"Why are the lizards fine?"

"I'm just guessing here, but as aliens we have a different chemical balance."

"They're the aliens!"

"Not here they aren't. This is their home, we're the aliens."

"Bah! I'm not the one with scaly skin."

"What?"

"What, what?" Jack asked clueless

"This is silly." Sam shook her head trying to clear it.

"Why aren't Ser'in and Tai acting like idiots?"

"The tea must have an ingredient that the dragons aren't sensitive to."

"For cry'in out loud..."

"I need a nap." Sam muttered.

Sam didn't just need a nap, she passed out as soon as she had said the words. When she woke up again she was still laying on Jack who was still sleeping it off. Sam sat up and looked around. Ser'in and Tai were instantly at her side. She gave them a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay."

"Dali." Tai said sincerely.

"Don't worry about it." Sam smiled. "You didn't know."

Getting to her feet Sam was suddenly overwhelmed by nausea. Knowing she was about to lose whatever was in her stomach Sam looked around desperately for someway to contain the impending mess. She spotted what looked like a small waste bin over by one of the book shelves. Rushing over to it she barely hit her knees next to it before being violently ill.

"Ick." Tai sighed.

"I'm sorry, this isn't a waste basket is it?"

Extremely embarrassed, but feeling better Sam sat back on her heels. Her eye suddenly caught something on the spine of a book on the shelf in front of her. If she hadn't been sitting on the floor she probably would have never noticed the tiny picture at the base of the spine. Pulling the book off the shelf she opened it and gasped.

"Jack!"

Jack was still sleeping, drooling a small puddle onto the couch. Ser'in had come over to help Sam get to her feet, but Sam jumped up on her own in excitement. She nearly lost her balance on the short trip back to the couch. She shook Jack's shoulder and he opened one eye before welding it shut again. Sam insisted that he get up and shook his shoulder again. He grumbled and sat up, instantly regretting it.

"Ja..."

"I'm going to be sick..." Jack moaned.

With a look of resignation on his reptilian face Tai handed Jack the waste bin looking artifact that Sam had already ruined. Jack accepted the offer and spent a few minutes puking into it. When he was sure there was nothing left in his stomach he leaned back and closed his eyes again. Sam shook his shoulder again.

"Easy, Carter."

"Look at this!" Sam said in excitement as she handed him the book open to a large glossy picture.

"Pretty, what about it?" Jack said unimpressed.

"What does it look like?"

"It's...uh..." Jack rubbed some of the sleepiness out of his eyes "it looks like the pyramids of Egypt."

"You mean it looks like the Goa'uld landing sites of Egypt..."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-three

Jack was leaning back in a chair throwing a stone sphere about the size of a tennis ball up in the air and catching it. He had grown used to boredom over the past few months, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it anymore than before. Catching the sphere again he inspected it a little more closely and discovered that it had veins of gold running through it.

Jack still wasn't exactly sure what it was that Tai did for a living, but clearly he did it well. He was actually starting to wonder if Tai even worked anymore. The fire dragon had the air of someone who just quietly enjoyed a state of independent wealth. Sam had mentioned that he'd spent hours upon hours at the zoo just watching them. So if he had a job, he didn't go there very often.

As Jack started to the throw the sphere in the air again Sam made a noise of exasperation. She was sitting on the other side of a large wooden desk that was covered in books. After Sam had shown so much excitement over the pyramids Tai had collected all the book about 'Ketch' that he had and given her his study to go through them. They'd been combing through the pictures in the massive tombs for two full days.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"I've already helped you," Jack replied calmly "there is nothing here, Carter."

"There has to be, there are too many similarity between this 'Ketch' place and Egypt."

"Yeah, well you could leaf through every book in the Library of Congress on Egypt and not find a single mention of the Stargate."

Sam gave Jack a 'don't bring logic into this' glare.

"Carter, the only way we are ever going to know is to just go there. You've drawing a dozen diagrams of the Gate and it's obvious that Tai has no idea what you're talking about. And if the Gate was in one of these books I'm willing to bet a large sum of money that Tai would know about it."

"We can't just traipse out to this place and start looking around without knowing where to start, without at least one strong piece of evidence that the Gate is there. It wouldn't be fair to Tai or Ser'in and it's dangerous for us. In case you haven't noticed we don't exactly blend and this place seems to be a popular tourist destination."

"Are we having our first spat?" Jack teased.

"We argue all the time, it's just I used to have to be respectful about it."

"Ah, right. Of course."

When Sam continued to glare at him Jack rolled his eyes and picked up one of the books that he'd already gone through. They'd both been through all the books several times so he really didn't see the point, but he felt it best to humor her at the moment. Sam went back to her own book, clearly frustrated that she couldn't read the text that went along with it.

Jack stared at a large picture of a display in some museum type place. They had taken some of the carved stones from the temples and set them up. There were other artifacts strewn about the room and in glass cases, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary or Goa'uldish. It looked like any showcase of normal Ancient Egyptian stuff that Jack had ever seen. Sam said that in and of itself was a sign that the Goa'uld probably had been there because it was just too much of a coincidence that both cultures would have evolved on two different planets independently.

However she wanted more proof before they tried to convince their hosts to risk their freedom and possibly their lives going there. Sam argued that leaving the safety of Tai's estate was extremely risky and if Tai and Ser'in came along there was a good chance they'd be caught with 'stolen property'. She had a point, which Jack hated.

Jack continued to stare at the same picture. One thing they couldn't determine was if the artifacts at Ketch were made by humans or dragons. There were no visuals of what the people of Ketch looked like. Sam's best guess was that any evidence of intelligent humans had been destroyed long ago in the same way that most of the evidence of intelligent alien life on Earth had been destroyed by governments and religious groups hundreds of years ago.

Jack had no doubt in his mind that the Goa'uld were responsible for Ketch and that it was worth every risk to get home. As much as he was enjoying his time with Sam at Tai's home it was still just another kind of prison. There was no way either one of them could truly have a life here. Before they were an exhibit and now they were basically pets. It was an improvement, but only marginally.

"Whoa...wait a minute..." Jack muttered.

"Jack?"

"There's something wrong with this table..." Jack said as he handed Sam the book.

"I don't see it."

"It's not a table at all. The legs, look what they're made of."

"Pain sticks..."

"Yup, I'd recognize them anywhere."

"This is it, this means that these pyramids are Goa'uld." Sam smiled brightly. "There could be a Stargate there, buried in the dirt or even just overgrown by the jungle. Although if it hasn't been found that probably means it's fallen over and is buried."

"Now then, how to find it?"

"With something as big as the Stargate I could rig a kind of metal detector with a couple of electromagnets and a few other parts."

"I knew I brought you along for a reason." Jack chuckled.

"Of course just finding where it is doesn't really mean we can get up and runn..."

"One step at a time, Carter."

Jack put down the stone sphere and got up. Rounding the desk he leaned in for a kiss. Sam chuckled and put her arms around his neck to pull him down further. When she released him she scooped up the book and they made their way back into the main level of the house. Ser'in and Tai were no where to be seen.

"I wonder where our little love lizards wandered off to."

"Love lizards?"

"Oh yeah, Tai's got it bad for Ser'in." Jack chuckled.

Sam smiled and shook her head at the cheesy grin on his face. They decided to wander out into the backyard and found the dragon pair sitting on the edge of the stream getting their feet wet. Sam took a breath to greet them but Jack stopped her. He sat down on the back step and encouraged Sam to do the same.

With their backs to Sam and Jack the dragons didn't notice the interruption. Tai said something in a deep purr that caused Ser'in to chirp in a shy chuckle. Tai turned his attention to the stream and scanned the waters with his keen eyes. Leaning forward he pulled a blue polished stone out from among the dull gray and black ones.

Tai offered his prize to Ser'in and she accepted it with a soft word of thanks. She looked over the stones beauty. While she was distracted Tai leaned in and whispered something to her. Ser'in tensed slightly and stared at him with her eyes that mimicked the stones colour wide in shock. She started to say something but when words started fail her she decided to simply lean over and bite down on Tai's lower lip.

Tai's emerald eyes dilated to slits and he careful pressed her upper lip between his pointed teeth. He took a hold of her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. When Ser'in took her teeth away from Tai's lip he instantly released her. Sitting back Ser'in blinked rapidly at him with her eyes slited like his. Tai purred and bushed her cheek with his fingertips.

"Re'is kak histuri." Tai chuckled.

"Quel?" Ser'in asked in shock.

Tai casually looked over his shoulder at Sam and Jack and waved at them. Jack guessed that Tai had told Ser'in that they were being watched. Looking at the humans Ser'in made a cry of surprise and hid her face in her hands in embarrassment. Jack chuckled and got to his feet and helped Sam do the same. Together they walked down to the stream.

"So it's okay for you to watch us, but not the other way around?" Jack teased.

Tai laughed and got to his feet and helped Ser'in up. Tai looked at the book in Sam's hand with interest. Before she could try and explain he started to herd them back inside. Once seated at the table inside he took the book from her and looked over the picture of the pyramid set in the lush jungle. Sam pointed at the impressive stone monument and then to herself and Jack.

"Tai, we need to go there."

"Quel?" _What?_ Tai asked in surprise. "Ketch?"

"Dak," _Yes. _ Sam replied. "Ketch, we need to go to Ketch."

Tai and Ser'in exchanged a few words and then he got up from the table. He came back with a small globe made of stone with an inlain surface.

"Ja'ck, Saman'tha." Tai said and pointed at a place on the globe before turning it almost all the way around and pointing at another spot on the other side of the planet. "Ketch."

"Tai," Jack said "it doesn't matter how far away it is. We have to go to Ketch."

"Kak." No. Tai said simply.

"Tai, far'is." _Please_. Sam said. "We might be able to get home."

"Kak." Tai repeated and then drew his finger across his throat. "Est jarang'ie."

"We know it's dangerous. Dak jarang'ie." Jack said firmly. "With or without your help we're going."

"Jack," Sam interrupted "we can't do this on our own, there is an ocean between here and there."

"I'm not going to be this guy's pet." Jack growled.

Ser'in and Tai both recoiled at Jack's tone.

"Hasta?" Tai asked. "Hasta Ketch?"

"He must be asking why." Sam translated. "How do we tell him that we want to go home?"

"I don't know. Home is a difficult concept to explain without words."

"Tai, home." Sam said and pointed to Tai and then around to the house. She pointed to herself and Jack and then at the picture. "Jack, Samantha, Ketch. Home."

Tai thought about this for a moment before turning to Ser'in. He started asking her questions which she answered with a few shrugged shoulders. Jack figured that he was asking where Ser'in's zoo had picked the two of them up, which of course was no where near Ketch.

Sam suddenly had an idea and disappeared into the study. She came back with the blank book that Tai had given her and the stylus pen. She took the small globe away from Tai and drew a rough sketch of his planet at the lower left hand corner of the paper. Drawing another circle in the upper right she drew out the Western hemisphere of Earth on it. In between she drew a small Stargate.

"Tai." Sam tapped on the drawing of his world. "Ketch." She pointed to the Stargate. "Home." She tapped on her picture of the Earth.

Taking the book Tai studied it for a moment. Jack could see the realization in Tai's eyes. The dragon flipped a few pages back and looked more carefully at the detailed drawing of the Stargate. He went back to the last drawing. He pointed at the drawing of Earth and then up at the ceiling or rather the sky and on to space.

"Dak, yes." Sam replied. "We're not the humans on your planet...we're aliens."

"Al' e'inns. Yesss, dak." Tai nodded in the dragon's odd way.

"I think he gets it." Sam smiled.

"So what about Ketch?" Jack asked.

"Kak, no." Tai repeated. "Kak, no Ketch."

"We want to go home, Tai." Jack sighed. "Can't you understand?"

"Tai un'dur'stand. Dali, soorry. Kak...no, jarang'ie. No dangrr'ous." Tai replied in broken English. "No Ketch."

Jack ground his teeth together and Tai took instant notice of his elevated agression.

"Dali, dali. Soorry, soorry, Ja'ck." Tai said with his head bowed.

"You said we could leave whenever we wanted to." Jack hissed.

"He's not keeping us here, Jack, he's just not willing to risk helping us go half way around the world for something he probably doesn't believe in."

"Then we should just go."

"We'd never get there."

"I don't care." Jack snapped angrily. "I'd rather die trying to get home than just sitting around."

"Die? Do you think that's what would happen to us? Jack, we'd more likely end up back in a zoo and I can't go back. I'm not leaving here without Tai's help."

"Then I'll go and come back with help."

"No, please. Don't leave me here alone, you know that if you leave here that you'll never make it back."

Jack still looked undecided about it. Sam could see the caged lion look in his eyes again. The illusion of freedom hadn't lasted long now that he knew there was a chance at getting to a Stargate out there. He looked like he was ready to blindly bolt out the door at any second.

Sam went over to Jack and hooked her finger into his shirt collar to pull out the dog tags he wore. She had seen that he'd folded up a page from her journal and tied it to the necklace. The plastic like paper was waterproof and was still intact.

"I know what page this is...read it again. Then make your decision."

"Carter, we have to try."

"Read it."

"I don't have to read it, I have it memorized."

"I mean what I said, I would give up my freedom to be with you." Sam said sincerely. "We don't have to give up hope just yet, but we can't do this on our own. Give me more time to get Tai to help us."

"Fine." Jack sighed in defeat.

"You'll stay until we can get their help?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Jack rolled his eyes. "Now then, what do you suggest we do to get that help?"

"First of all, learn Tai and Ser'in's language."

"Then what?"

"One step at a time, Sir."

"Samantha, if you're not going to follow my orders, which clearly you aren't, then don't call me 'Sir'."

"Jack, I would follow you to certain death without you saying a word. I just wanted to make sure that you saw the alternative routes first."

"So if I had decided to leave..."

"I was bluffing, of course I would have gone with you."

"Perfect, then I change my mind. Let's go!"

"Ah-ah." Sam admonished. "You promised you'd stay."

"Damn it, I did. You trick me into it." Jack grumbled. "I'm never going to win any of these games, am I?"

"Probably not."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four

"At this rate you are going to end up killing me."

"You'll die happy."

"True, true." Jack chuckled.

Jack settled down next to Sam and they spent a few minutes just enjoying the soothing afterglow effect. It was late at night, but neither one of them had been able to sleep. Sam guessed that they'd have more luck getting to sleep now. However as the minutes ticked by Sam noticed that Jack still seemed a little tense.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh they're not worth that much." Jack teased.

"Seriously, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you are the smartest, most beautiful woman I have ever known, as well as the greatest lover this side of the Milkyway."

"But..."

"But...I'm still worried about you becoming pregnant."

"I thought you wanted a family."

"Not this far from home."

"We're going to get back."

"You said that two months ago, we're no closer to getting help from Tai to get to Ketch than we were back then."

"We're learning more of the language every da..."

"Samantha, this isn't a language barrier." Jack interrupted. "Tai and Ser'in know exactly what we want, they just aren't willing to help."

"Give them a little more time."

Jack made a huff of frustration and suddenly disappeared under the sheets. Sam smiled as he started kissing her stomach. He paused and placed his palm against the skin just under her belly button. When he tapped on her stomach she lifted up the sheet to see what he was up to.

"Knock, knock." Jack spoke directly to her belly. "Anyone home in there?"

"If there is they haven't let me know about it."

"Probably afraid you'll charge them rent." Jack teased.

Sam grabbed her pillow and shoved it down under the covers and into Jack's face. His muffled laughter was followed by Sam giggling as he tickled her. He crawled out from under the covers and sat up next to Sam. Jack gave her a kiss and brushed her cheek.

"Thirsty?" Jack asked.

"I'd have a drink if one was offered."

"Stay right here."

Jack rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of cotton slacks. As he made his way down the short hall that led from their bedroom to the main living area Jack could smell a campfire. He furrowed his brow, he knew that Tai had a fireplace, but it had to be two or three hours past midnight.

Coming to the living room of the open home Jack froze. There was indeed a fire in the fireplace, but that wasn't what caught Jack's eye first. Tai was laying on his back on the large woven rug with Ser'in on top of him. It was instantly apparent what they were doing. Jack knew he should just back away, but like a child walking on their parents he was somehow fascinated and confused at the same time.

Tai bit down softly on Ser'in's shoulder and caught sight of Jack. Tai took one of his hands off Ser'in's bare lower back and waved Jack away. Jack smiled brightly and nodded as he backed away. He retreated to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. Sam gave him a quizzical look.

"No luck on the drink mission?"

"Er...no...Ser'in and Tai are...well... They can't sleep either."

"Oh." Sam smiled. "Tai is very sweet to her, I'm not surprised the relationship is going well."

"I'm not so sure Ser'in is a 'she'." Jack said vacantly. "I...uh...I don't know...not really sure what I was looking at."

"Well, I say 'she' just cause it's easier."

"What?"

"You do know that Tai and Ser'in's race is hermaphroditic, right?"

"Hermaprphro what now?"

"Do you ever listen to me when I tell you things?"

"Sometimes."

"I found an anatomy book on Tai's shelf, I told you about it. Their race is both male and female at the same time."

"That could be fun." Jack smiled. "It certainly explains what I saw."

Sam shook her head and laced her arms around Jack's waist to pull him back into bed. Together they curled up and slept peacefully. The next morning when they got up Tai and Ser'in were no where to be seen. Until now Tai had been sleeping on the couch, but now it seemed that he got to sleep in his own bed again. Jack and Sam decided that they knew enough about the local food to make breakfast. Just as they were putting breakfast on the table Tai and Ser'in came down stars.

"Tret na'tack , Tai, Ser'in." Sam greeted.

"Good mour'ning, Saman'tha, Ja'ck." Tai returned. "Made food?"

"Dak. Yes."

"Tanks you." Ser'in smiled.

"Bienvenido." Jack replied.

"Jack, that's Spanish."

"Damn. Whatever, let's eat."

The group sat down and enjoyed the meal together. There was only a single item that Sam and Jack had cooked that was really meant to be eaten raw. Ser'in and Tai chuckled as they poked at the mutilated fruit and Jack nearly choked when he tried it. Other than that everything was good.

Tai and Ser'in cleared the table and washed up the few dishes that had been used. Sam was just about to ask Jack if he wanted to go for a walk when Ser'in and Tai both brought their heads up sharply. Sam quickly heard the sounds of an approaching vehicle.

"Hide!" Tai cried.

Jack was already one step ahead of Tai and had Sam by the wrist. Sam followed Jack back into the bedroom and the ducked into the closet. Jack was on full alert as they tried to stay as still as possible. It was the first time anyone had come to the home and Tai hadn't looked like he'd been expecting the visit. A few minutes went by before they heard someone stepping into the bedroom. Jack instantly tensed to ready himself for a fight.

"Saman'tha, Ja'ck, is safe." Tai said cheerfully.

Sam went to leave the closet, but Jack pulled her back. He opened the door slightly and checked out the situation. Tai was standing in the door frame and when he spotted Jack he smiled and beckoned him. Jack stepped out and Sam followed him.

"Saman'tha, I have...er....tralack...um...." Tai stumbled over his English unsure of how to say what he wanted.

"Just show me, Tai."

Tai nodded and lead them back into the living room and then upstairs to the study. In the study was a large box on the floor with markings on it. Tai seemed very proud of the box. He pulled out a knife and cut the top open. Sam stepped closer and looked inside and smiled.

"Gala, Tai, gala!" Sam reached over the box and gave Tai a hug.

"What is this stuff?" Jack asked.

"I asked Tai for some of the basic parts I'd need to make the metal detector for the Naquadah. I was starting to think that I wasn't making myself understood."

"Ah, science stuff. I guess the visitor was the delivery guy. Think you can make the detector?"

"I don't know." Sam said as she started to paw through the stuff. "There's also a nice book in here on the jungles around Ketch."

"I'll take that, you worry about detector."

"Sounds good."

Sam handed Jack the large coffee table picture book. Hauling some metal wires and other gizmos on to the floor she sat down and started to sort through them. She looked just like it was Christmas. Jack smiled, it had been a while since he'd seen the glint she got in her eyes when she had new alien toys to tinker with.

"I'm going to leave you to it."

"Huh?" Sam replied distracted. "Oh, yeah, right."

"You haven't changed, Carter." Jack beamed.

"Why would I have?"

"Good point."

Tai watched Sam in fascination as she started to lay out the items. He clearly had no idea what she wanted the stuff for. Jack put his arm over the dragon's shoulders. Tai looked at him and smiled.

"Come on, she works better when no one is watching."

Nodding Tai followed Jack back down stairs. They wandered out onto the back porch and sat down on the steps. Ser'in was off tending to the animals, something she was good at. Out of sight from the main building Tai had a small stable where animals that weren't quite ready to be in the wild around Tai's estate stayed. Ser'in was right at home helping the animals rehabilitate.

Jack opened up the glossy book that Sam had given to him out of the box. He leafed through the stunning pictures. Instead of focusing on the pyramids this book had shots of the ancient jungle that surrounded them. As he looked over the pictures with mild interest Tai touched his shoulder.

"Ja'ck...you are never happy here?"

"Yes and no. Dak est Kak."

"Under'staand." Tai sighed. "Never home."

"No, it isn't."

"Soorry."

"I am happy to be free."

"Saman'tha want home?"

"Yes. Dak."

Tai bowed his head for a moment. He reached over and took the book away from Jack. He started to flip the pages until he came to about the middle of the book. Placing the book back in Jack's lap he pointed at a gruesome photo of a rotting dragon at the base of a large tree. Jack's breath hissed across his teeth as he gasped at the sight.

"Deeath."

"I don't understand, what happened?"

Instead of trying to answer Tai kept flipping the pages. The pictures had dramatically changed. They showed places where the jungle had been hacked down and burned. Tai made a whimpering sound as he turned the page to reveal a dragon that had been hung from a tree upside down with what looked like a gun shot wound through his stomach. It wasn't until the pictures turned to those of military that Jack finally saw what was happening.

"Ketch is a war zone."

"War is deeath?" Tai asked.

"Dak, 'war' et 'death'."

"Yess, Ketch is war. Dangerous, blood."

Jack continued through the book trying to gage the scope of the war. It reminded him of the bloodshed in the Congo. There were sharp differences between the two sides, one was dressed in a uniform with new looking weapons, the other side fought with whatever they had. There were also shots of the natives of Ketch, starving, beaten, many missing limbs. Jack's stomach turned as he thought about the consequences of this news.

The last page in the book was of a massive banyan tree that had to be a nearly two hundred feet tall and at least seventy-five feet across. The tree had been blasted by some devastating weapon that had blown out a large portion of the tree's base, making a hole almost all the way through it. The twisting roots that formed the base of the tree had an odd symmetry about them and although most of the base was missing the tree didn't look like it was about to fall.

Flipping to the first page of the book Jack saw that there was a picture of the same tree before the war. The more closely he looked at the massive tree the colder his blood grew. The trunk of the tree had a definite rounded shape to it. It was much wider in one direction than the other, instead of having a cylindrical base like most trees. Jack returned to the last page and brought the book close to his face to inspect the edges of blasted area.

"No way..."

"Ja'ck?"

Without explaining himself to Tai Jack jumped to his feet. He rushed upstairs to where Sam was still working hard in the study. She looked up at him and smiled, but the look on her face quickly turned to concern.

"Jack? What's happening?"

"I found it."

"The Stargate?"

"Yes."

"Whe...where?"

"It's trapped inside a giant tree."

"A tree?"

Jack knelt down next to Sam and opened up to the last picture. He circled the place he wanted her to look with his finger. Sam inspected the photo for a moment and gasped sharply. Just showing in the blasted area of the butchered tree was the bottom portion of a Chevron. The odd shape of the tree and the reason it didn't fall down was because it had the Stargate as a skeleton. Over thousands of years the tree had grown around the unused Gate.

"Why was the tree destroyed like this?"

"Because Ketch is at war."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-five

"War zone?" Sam repeated. "This changes everything."

"It certainly does."

"We need to leave now."

"Yeah...wait...what?"

"If we're going to make it through a war torn area we need to get there while I can still fend for myself."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"If I am pregnant in a few more months I'm going to have trouble walking, let alone evading enemies, and we'd have just as hard a time once the child was born. Our window is closing, and we can either risk staying here for a few months to make sure I'm not carrying and risk not being able to leave at all or we go now."

"Samantha, this is insane, we can't go to Ketch now."

"Of course we can. Jack, beyond two pretty faces what are we?"

"Completely screwed?"

"Soldiers, Sir, we're soldiers and we are trained for this."

"We're trained to have weapons, and back up, and surveillance, and a plan, and..."

"And since when did either of us depend on any of that." Sam smiled. "Come on, Jack, we practically have a map to the Stargate, we can go home."

"Home..."

"I'll buy you a beer when we get there."

"Deal."

Sam tackled Jack in a bear hug. They laughed together and exchanged and excited kiss. When released Sam reached up onto the desk and grabbed one of the pen like stylus. Taking the book she started to draw the Stargate directly onto the picture. After studying for a while, looking at the way the ground curved and the way the plants in the area grew she started to draw the DHD.

"You think that's where it is?"

"The DHD tends to be on the right hand side when facing the Gate and I think I can see the outline of the buried steps here. Nothing large is growing in the soil in this somewhat circular shape, which could be due to the magnetic field the power crystal gives off disrupting plant growth."

"We'd better bring some shovels."

"If we can pick a DHD out of a solid block of ice with a field knife I'm confident we can dig this up."

"We still need to get to Ketch."

"That's probably going to be the hardest part."

"Harder than hacking our way through a war torn jungle?" Jack asked skeptically.

"Can't be any worse than a Goa'uld mother ship and we've slipped out of a few of those."

"I vaguely recall that life."

"Military training is just like riding a bicycle, it'll all come back."

"There is going to be no back up, no second chances, we screw this one up..."

Sam stopped her drawing of the DHD and looked up at Jack. Putting the book down she moved closer to sit beside him. Jack forced a smile, but she could tell he didn't mean it. She took his hand in hers and looked directly into his eyes.

"Jack, now that I know for a fact that the Stargate is there, that there is a real chance of getting home, I'm ready to risk everything to get back. However if you don't feel the same I will happily make a new life with you here, but I can't live with false dreams of going home. We need to make the decision to try to get to the Stargate or never mention it again and make this our new home. What's it going to be?"

Sam hated to put the weight of this decision on Jack's shoulders, but she couldn't make it on her own. He didn't answer right away. She could see him weighing out the options and the chances. For a moment Sam was afraid that he was going to back out, that he would rather live a prisoner of the house than take the chance. Jack suddenly got an old familiar gleam in his eyes, the one he used to get just before they went ahead with a plan where the line between stupidity and bravery was drawn by success.

"I have your word on that beer?"

"Girl Scout's honour."

"Let's go home."

Sam was excited enough to be dropped in the middle of a battle with little more than a pocket knife and be fully confident of being the one to come out alive. Jack poked at the clumsy device that Sam had been working on putting together.

"What about this thing?"

"I could get it working, but it will be large and heavy. Best to not bother."

"Any chance of making some sort of weapon?"

"Uh, probably, but there are plenty of guns and such already on this planet. We just need to get our hands on some."

"Then let's go talk with Tai."

Sam nodded and got to her feet. Jack gathered up the book and together they went down stairs. Tai and Ser'in were both out on the porch chatting together. When Sam stepped out onto the stone patio the dragons both turned a worried expression towards them.

"Ja'ck, please, no Ketch. Home here."

"I'm sorry, Tai, it just doesn't work that way." Jack said.

"We found the Stargate." Sam informed.

Sitting down in between Tai and Ser'in Sam asked Jack for the book. He handed it to her and she opened it to the last page that she had been scribbling on. Tai seemed exasperated to see another drawing of the Gate. Sam didn't blame him, she'd been obsessing over her drawings of it more and more as time went by.

"Look here, in the tree."

Tai gave her a doubtful look and then took the book away from her. She pointed out the exposed Chevron. He traced his pointed fingernail over the outline of the alien device embedded in the gigantic tree. Sam was ninety-eight percent confident that there was enough damage to the tree to establish a wormhole and the way the tree had encased it shouldn't keep it from spinning.

"I sight it." Tai admitted.

"It can get us home."

"It get you death."

"Samantha and I can take care of ourselves." Jack said firmly. "We are not asking you to come with us, just help us get there."

"No!"

Tai snapped the book shut and stormed inside the house. Sam sighed heavily and soon found Ser'in's hand on her shoulder. Ser'in gave her a sad look. Sam forced a smile to reassure her that she didn't hold Ser'in responsible for any of this.

"Ser'in talk Tai."

"No." Sam shook her head. "Just leave him alone."

"Carter..."

"One more week, if we can't convince Tai to help us in one week we'll strike out on our own. Sound like a plan?"

"No, a plan usually has a well thought out series of events. However, I think it's an excellent start to a plan."

"Good."

Over the next five days Jack and Sam did their best to talk Tai into at the very least to take them to the same continent that Ketch was located on. He remained determined to talk them out of their plans. It took him some time to find the words, but Sam eventually understood that he didn't want to be responsible for sending them to their deaths.

Everyone was sitting down at dinner, but no one was talking. The constant pleas for help were taking their toll on everyone. Jack had even asked Ser'in if she knew of any zoos in or near Ketch that they could be sold to. They'd either try to escape along the way or find a way out once they were there. Either way it would get them closer to the Gate. Sam and Jack weren't particularly hungry and both were just pushing their food around.

"You doing alright, Samantha?"

"I afraid to leave on our own. I don't think we'll make it."

"Honestly I don't think so either."

"If it wasn't for the ocean in the way I'd say we'd have a chance. But I can't think of anyway to cross it without help."

"I think we need to seriously consider waiting. Wars aren't forever, maybe in a few years Ketch will be safe again."

"Maybe." Sam said sadly.

"This is silly, it wasn't long ago that we were having the exact same argument."

"We were just on opposite sides." Sam sighed.

Jack nodded and nudged at her shoulder in an attempt to get her to smile. Sam did force a smile, but her heart still felt heavy. It was starting to gnaw at her that she couldn't decide if she was pregnant or not, something she felt would help make this decision to stay or leave. It was one thing to only risk her own life, another to risk the life of someone who hadn't even had a chance to be born yet. She felt she had gained enough weight back to start cycling normally, but had shown no signs of a monthly bloodletting. It either meant she truly was pregnant or still just not healthy enough for such things.

Tai and Ser'in hadn't eaten much either and were watching the pair. Ser'in turned and started talking to Tai in a soft voice. She wasn't any more thrilled about Sam and Jack leaving, but seemed more open to the idea than Tai. The fire dragon was just about to respond to her when there was a sudden cracking noise that sounded enough like gun fire to get Jack and Sam's attention.

"What was that?"

Before Tai could answer he pushed himself away from the table violently enough to cause several glasses to topple over. He scrambled to his feet and ran over to a large painting. The noise repeated itself, it sounded to be coming from deep in the jungle surrounding the house. Sam noticed with alarm that Tai jerked nervously each time the noise repeated.

Tearing the painting down from the wall Tai revealed a smooth metal panel set in the stucco wall. He passed his hand over it to reveal a colour coded lock which he quickly punched the combination into. The metal slid back and revealed a recess in the wall that contained a single long barreled rifle.

"Tai?" Ser'in asked in concern.

"What's going on?"

"Yersta!" Tai barked. "Stay!"

There was another shot fired off in the jungle and Tai went tearing out the door with the gun in hand. Jack jumped up and went to follow him when Ser'in grabbed on to his arm to stop him. Jack twisted out of Ser'in's grip but she scrambled to block him from going out the door.

"Ser'in, out of the way."

"Kak! Plea'see, stay!"

"What the hell is going on?"

"Not know!" Ser'in cried in distress.

"Ser'in," Sam said calmly "let us go, we can help Tai."

"Tai want stay. Danger?"

"Trust us."

Sam flashed Ser'in a warm smile. The dragon was on the edge of panic and didn't know what to do. The sight of the gun had clearly taken her by surprise. When there was the sound of more gunfire off in the distance she stepped aside. Jack and Sam wasted no time and ran off into the darkened jungle.

Sam had been right and they both slipped right back into their military training. Jack flashed her hand signals she hadn't seen for more time than she cared to count, but she knew exactly what they meant. It took a while to find their way, however, as they came closer to the source of the sound they spread out to flank on either side of the commotion while still keeping each other in sight.

There were six darkly dressed dragons in a small clearing that had surrounded Tai. He seemed to have quickly lost the gun he'd been armed with. Sam spotted it on the ground about five feet away from the cover of the edge of the clearing. There were two other large animals on the ground, both of them dead with three men quickly working to remove their horns and hides.

The three other dragons were concentrating on Tai. Two of them tore his shirt off and tied his wrists behind his back with the tattered cloth. Tai cried out in pain as the third dragon hit him in the face with the handle of his rifle. The blow brought Tai down to his knees. The deep purple dragon with the rifle pressed the muzzle of the gun against Tai's throat.

"Tai, retis mer nakat?" The dragon asked in a casual tone.

"Ire'sta!" Tai spat as an obvious insult.

The dark dragon pulled his lips over his teeth in a snarl of rage and kicked Tai hard in the stomach. With his hands behind his back Tai lost his balance and he fell to the ground. The two dragons that had restrained him began to beat him viscously.

Jack was on the far side from the gun so he made motions for Sam to go for it and get the leader under control. Sam nodded and after quickly taking in everyone's exact position she slunk out into the clearing. She was unsure of how to fire the weapons she'd grabbed, but that didn't stop her from getting the long barreled muzzle against the deep purple dragon's temple before anyone realized she was there.

"Drop it." Sam snarled.

Everyone, including the three that were hacking at the carcasses froze solid. Even with the language barrier it was clear what Sam wanted. The deep purple turned just his eyes to Sam to see who his sudden assaulter was. His eye opened wide at the sight of the human with the gun against his head. He slowly went to put the riffle down, but Jack had snuck up on his other side.

"I'll take that." Jack said as he took the weapon. "Carter, how the hell do you fire these things?"

"I have no idea."

"Okay, bluff it." Jack trained the stolen weapon on the two that were still crouched over Tai. "You two, over there."

Jack made his point clear by motioning with the weapon. The dragons slowly raised their hands, staring at Jack like they were hunters being held at gun point by a deer. The reptiles by the dead animals started to slowly move towards their own guns.

"At-at!" Sam snapped and nudged her captive with the muzzle. "Tell then to stay still."

"At tris u'las." The purple dragon ordered and the others held their positions.

"Tai?" Jack asked. "Tai, get up."

Tai groaned in pain and tried to get to his feet. He had been badly beaten and when he moved he coughed up some blood. Tai got to his knees, but was unable to get any further. Jack circled around so that he could keep an eye on everyone. When he did so one of the two dragons he was keeping his gun trained on nudged the other in the ribs.

"Kak es taka." The dragon whispered.

"Carter, bluff called!" Jack barked, having basically understood the lizard. "Bring them down!"

Sam switched her hold on the gun and used it as a bludgeon. The purple dragon was not expecting to be struck across the temple and was instantly dropped to the dirt by the powerful blow. The two dragons that Jack had been holding off leapt to their feet to attack. Jack did a similar move as Sam and cracked one across the bridge of his wide nose causing him to stumble back with his hands over his face as bright red blood poured from his nose.

The other managed to grab the weapon before Jack could strike him. However the dragon made the fatal mistake of grabbing the weapon between Jack's hands rather than on the outside of them. Because of this Jack was easily able to use the dragon's grip to spin him around and then jerked the riffle up against his throat, pining him to Jack's chest.

The other three had rushed at Sam but after she'd taken one of them down with a jab to the throat the remaining two were now hesitating to attack her. Sam took an aggressive move towards them and they dropped their knives and fled into the dense jungle. The alien that had the broken nose ran after them.

The dragon Jack was holding stopped struggling and peacefully put his hands behind his head. Jack released him and pushed on the back of his knee to let him know what he wanted. The frightened reptile went all the way down and laid face first down in the dirt with his hands still behind his head. The dark purple dragon was coming to and groaned in pain. Sam walked over and put her bare foot down on his chest to keep him from thinking about getting up.

"Not bad, Carter. I'd say we've still got it."

"Three got away."

"I doubt they'll be coming back anytime soon."

Jack risked leaving the dragon on the ground for a moment. He walked over a fallen back pack and rummaged around it until he came across some cord. He used one of the dropped knives to cut it into three pieces and tossed one to Sam. She forced the leader's hands behind his back and tied them there tightly. Jack did the same with the other two before releasing Tai.

"You alright, Tai?"

"Da...da...dak..." Tai stuttered.

Looking around at the carnage Tai didn't seem to understand what had just happened. He gapped his mouth a few times to speak, but never came up with the words. When his eyes fell on the slain animals tears slipped down his face. Pitching forward on his hands and knees he started to retch violently. Sam looked down at the beautiful coats of the dead creatures.

"Poachers?" Sam asked.

"That's my guess."

Tai whimpered pitifully and laid down on his side. Jack noticed the blood on his lips and put down the gun. He carefully gathered the fire dragon into his arms and stood up. Sam came over and ran her hand gently over the swelling on Tai's chest.

"I think he had at least one broken rib." Sam noted.

"We'll get him back to Ser'in."

"What about these guys?"

"Just leave them for now."

Sam nodded and after picking up all of the weapons she could find she followed Jack back towards the house. Ser'in was pacing back and forth in the living room and cried out in alarm when they brought in the bloodied Tai. Jack took the injured dragon upstairs and laid him down on the bed.

"Hang in their, Tai." Jack smiled. "I'm sure Ser'in can fix you up."

"Ja'ck..." Tai said breathlessly. "Gala...thank you."

"Kak nestre, don't worry about it."

Tai moaned as Ser'in came up and pressed a cold rag against the deep cut in his temple. She quickly inspected the damages and hustled off to get the supplies that she would need to stitch him up. She looked as though the matter was urgent, but not an emergency. Sam walked over to the far side of the bed and sat down. Tai looked over at her and flashed her a smile as she took his hand.

"Saman'tha...thank you."

"Re gest, you're welcome." Sam smiled.

Tai looked up at Sam and then over at Jack. He reached out to take Jack's hand. He brought both of their hands up to his chest and over his heart. Struggling to stay awake he once again looked at each them in turn.

"Ja'ck, Saman'tha," Tai panted "Tai take to Ketch, take to home."

"You'll help us?"

"Vivies...promise."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-six

"This is never coming off."

"Scrub harder."

"I can't believe this worked." Jack chuckled.

"I know, I'm still a little shocked myself. You've still got some behind your ears."

"I've heard of being blue, but this is ri..."

Sam interrupted Jack's bad pun by covering his mouth with her own. She could feel him grinning under her hand. She rolled her eyes and continued to try and removed the blue paint from his neck. Hot water poured down her bare back from the waterfall like shower. Sam managed to remove the last of the blue paint from Jack's face.

Jack pressed Sam against the black marble wall of the shower with his own soapy body. Using a great deal of care he gently rubbed the purple paint off her face. As he removed the covering on her throat he exposed her blue tattoo. Running his fingertips down the symbols he smiled sadly.

"Something wrong?"

"We're marked for life."

"Since neither one of us like jewelry the tattoos can acted as wedding bands." Sam suggested.

"I like that."

Sam reached up and ran her fingers against Jack's tattoo that only differed from hers by a single symbol. He leaned in for a kiss that she gladly gave. After removing all of the colour and soap they stepped out of the glass and marble shower. They dried off using the fluffy round towels being held up by a silver bar.

There were six soft white robes made of some sort of thin fleece hanging in the closet of the extravagant bathroom. After donning one of the robes himself Jack slipped one over Sam's shoulders and reached around her waist to tie off the belt. He held her close for a moment and sighed contently.

Stepping out of the bathroom they were greeted with more luxury. The large open room was lined in black marble walls with silver accents and strange art. The lighting came from softly glowing orbs that were suspended from the low ceiling. The far wall had a rounded alcove that held a large soft bed with blue silk sheets.

"This is traveling in style." Jack purred.

"Part of me thought we'd be shipped over seas in a small metal box."

"Same here. I like this arrangement much better."

"It feels like we've started moving." Sam said.

"That means we are getting closer to home."

"I wouldn't mind this particular journey lasting a few days."

Jack smiled brightly and had to agree. They were currently in one of the staterooms of what they assumed was some sort of luxury ocean liner. The ship was enormous and much to Sam's amusement it was the classic saucer shape. They had boarded the ship in the guise of being disabled. They had painted their faces and hands as a precaution and had worn loose clothing with hoods. Sitting in wheelchair type devices Tai and Ser'in pushed them right up the gangplank and onto the ship. Tai had secured papers of some description for them all and as first class passengers no questions were asked.

Tai had healed from his encounter with the poachers quickly. Sam wasn't sure if his race was fast healing or if Tai had simply escaped without any broken ribs. Either way Tai was not only true to his promise, but he had them on the road and to the sea within two weeks. As of right now they still didn't have a real plan.

However Tai had supplied the pair with several maps to study on the trip over the sea. They were headed for the shores of a country just above Ketch. Sam had no way of knowing how many miles it would be from there to the pyramids since she had no way of understanding the scale of the maps. Luckily they knew exactly where they going since a picture had revealed the gigantic tree holding the Stargate was within visual distance of the pyramids.

Sam pulled Jack over towards the bed. She had been anxious during their trip onto the ship. If they had been caught out in the open like that there wouldn't have been any escape for any of them. With the danger mostly over she was getting tired. They laid down on the bed just as their was a knock at the door that adjoined the other stateroom to their's.

"Dak, Tai."

Tai entered the room and smiled. Sam and Jack sat up and smiled back at him. Tai had a silver tray with him that held a large assortment of fruits and vegetables. He brought it over to the wooden table and set it down with a flourish.

"Gala, Tai." Sam said. "This really is amazing. Thank you so much."

"Yer are welcome." Tai bowed to them both. "There is no less Tai could do."

"That's not true. Your help means everything to us."

Tai's eyes dilated in pleasure. He walked over to the alcove that held the bed and passed his hand over the wall. A blue spot started to glow and he pressed his palm against it. Sam gasped as the three solid black walls of the alcove turned transparent. Beyond the glass was the vast beauty of the alien sea. They were far below the waterline and the coral reefs and all the creatures living there were suddenly visible.

"Oh wow..." Sam breathed. "It's beautiful."

"Tai, you have seriously out done yourself."

Tai didn't seem to really understand what Jack meant, however he smiled. He made sure that their door was locked with a 'do not disturb' sign on it and ducked back into his and Ser'in's half of the large stateroom. Jack got up and retrieved the dinner offered.

"You know, not to knock Tai's views on vegetarianism...but I really want a steak right about now."

"I certainly wouldn't say no." Sam agreed.

Sam collected an armful of the pillows and moved them to the far end of the alcove so that they could prop themselves up on them and watch the ocean life go by. Laying on their stomaches they munched on the fresh fruit and vegetables. Sam was hypnotized by the large brightly coloured fish that flashed by the clear window. The seas here were full of life. The clear waters stretched out for about six hundred feet before becoming a blue hazy wall.

"Why is the ocean always some shade of blue no matter what planet we're on?"

"Because the refractive properties of light don't change." Sam replied.

"How romantic." Jack teased.

Jack nuzzled Sam's shoulder playfully and she laughed. Having finished dinner he put the tray back on the table. Joining Sam again he laid down on his side and encouraged her to do the same. Curled up together they continued to watch as the sea began to get deeper and the sea life became even stranger. The light was getting dimmer as the sauce shaped ship dove deeper. The craft moved effortlessly and silently without disturbing the waters around them.

"Friction free technology, that's amazing."

"What now?" Jack asked.

"I think that's how this ship works, I think there is a energy field around the ship that acts as a friction free surface, allowing the ship to move as easily through water as it would in space."

"Cool."

"Very."

They settled back into silence for a while and watched the world go by. There were large shark looking creatures that were chasing after smaller snakes. They even saw an animal that resembled a whale made out of glass, its transparent body shimmered with a rainbow of colours. Jack held Sam tighter.

"You know, we've had a lot of adventures, but I think this one is starting to hedge out the current top spot."

"Oh really?" Sam said. "What currently rates as Adventure Number One?"

"That honor has always been held by my very first trip through the Gate with Daniel to Abydos. Until then I thought I had the world figured out."

"The first trip really does change everything." Sam agreed.

"This one has too."

Sam smiled and rolled over in Jack's arms to kiss him. He ran his hand down her back and continued the amorous affection. When Sam's robe fell open Jack deliberately closed it again. They had both come to the decision that they couldn't afford to take any more chances until they were safely home again. Sam chuckled and pulled on the knot on Jack's belt.

"I thought we already decided against this."

"You're old fashioned, and I love that." Sam smiled. "However there are other ways to enjoy our time together."

"Madame, you are threatening the boundaries of polite society."

"I don't see any 'society' around here that we have to worry about."

Jack chuckled and rolled over to pin Sam to the sheets. She smiled brightly as he tore open the robe that he had so carefully put back in place. After an hour of less conventional love they ended up back in the shower. Back in bed the sea outside had turned dark with night, however the show wasn't over.

The alien ocean was alive with bioluminescent creatures. The flashing and blinking light show was breathtaking. Laying in each other's arms the pair fought to stay awake to enjoy the glowing patterns. Eventually a peaceful sleep claimed them both.

The trip across the ocean took a little less than a week. Although Jack and Sam both enjoyed the luxury of the room, they were both starting to suffer from a touch of cabin fever. On the last day of the journey Jack was jerked awake by the sound of retching. He automatically reached out for Sam, but she wasn't there.

"Carter?"

"Right here." Sam replied as she came out of the bathroom drying her hair. "Did I just hear someone being sick?"

Jack didn't have to reply because the noise repeated itself. At first Jack had been terrified that it had been Sam succumbing to morning sickness. However the sound was clearly coming from Tai and Ser'in's cabin. Sam stepped up to the door that divided them and knocked gently.

"Tai? Ser'in? Everything okay?"

It took a few minutes for Sam to get a response. Tai told her she could come in and she opened the door. Ser'in was being led out of the bathroom by a concerned looking Tai. He sat her down on the bed and joined her. Ser'in was in tears and wrapped her arms over her stomach.

"Dali, dali." _Sorry, sorry._ Ser'in whimpered.

"Kak, des dali." _No, don't be sorry._ Tai soothed and held her in his arms. "Ne yuni te."

Sam knew the last three words meant 'I love you'. She suddenly had a suspicion as to what was going on. Jack had caught up with Sam and came into the room. Sam walked over to Ser'in and knelt down next to her. Ser'in looked down at her and forced a smile.

"Ser'in, are you pregnant?" Sam asked rubbing her own belly for emphasis.

"Yesss."

"Congratulations."

"Tank you." Ser'in said shyly.

"Tai, what about you?"

"No, I are not, however I are happy." Tai beamed.

Sam got up and gave the pair a warm hug. Ser'in still seemed scared about this new development, however Tai was very supportive, his eyes were just slits from being so dilated. Sam took the dog tags she was wearing off and placed them over Ser'in's head. Ser'in looked at the dull metal tags and her eyes dilated, she knew how much the tags meant to Sam.

"Tank you, Sam'an'tha."

"You're welcome. Thank you for everything, but now we have to go our separate ways."

"No." Tai said firmly.

"Tai you and Ser'in can't take us into Ketch like this." Jack said.

"Ser'in will stay, I will go."

"Ta..."

"Tai promise Ketch. Promise."

"Tai, no, you can't risk..."

"Ja'ck, Saman'tha, my life is because of you. Alone in Ketch you will death."

"We can fend for ourselves."

"No. Tai take Ja'ck and Saman'tha to Ketch, to Stargate, to home."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-seven

Ser'in was laying on her side panting heavily. She was obviously in pain, but she didn't cry out. Tai was sitting on the bed next to her with a cool cloth that he pressed to her forehead. Ser'in was frightened but Tai kept reassuring her that everything was going to be just fine. She closed her blue eyes and concentrated on taking a few deep breaths.

Sam wished that there was something she could do. However the pair of dragons seemed to have everything under control. They had moved off the ship and into a grand hotel with a room that looked out over a crescent shaped bay. It had only been a few days since Ser'in had announced that she was pregnant but the big day seemed to already be upon them.

"If I had known that Ser'in was so close to giving birth I would have never suggested we leave."

"I get the feeling that this is short notice for them as well." Jack said from his place on the couch.

"When did you see them together?"

"About two months ago."

"Amazing. I hope everything is alright and she's not having a miscarriage or anything."

Tai noticed that Sam was starting to fret as she paced back and forth. He left Ser'in's side for a moment to sooth her. When Ser'in moaned in escalating pain he took Sam into the bathroom and turned on the water, instructing her to let him know when it was full. Tai left Sam to her task and returned to Ser'in.

Sam tested the temperature of the water falling into the large tub. She adjusted it to keep it warm, but not hot. Just as it was getting about full Tai entered helping Ser'in along. She had her eyes weld shut and was trying her hardest not to scream. Sam realized that the pair probably didn't want to get caught having a child in a hotel room or two humans for that matter.

"The water is ready."

"Tank you, Saman'tha." Tai said.

"Tai..." Ser'in whimpered.

There was a sense of urgency in Ser'in's voice this time. Tai untied the belt to the robe that Ser'in was wearing and pulled it off her shoulders. Sam had never seen one of the dragons without their clothing and was a little surprised by lack of a belly button, nipples, or anything that would even hint at the exsistance of genitalia beyond a small slit in the scales low on her pelvis.

Ser'in didn't look pregnant other than an almost imperceivable swelling in her stomach. However she was acting more and more like they were going to have this baby at any minute. Sam stepped out of the way and Tai helped Ser'in lower herself into the water. Figuring they deserved some privacy Sam left them alone.

"Everything going okay in there?" Jack asked as he sat up.

"I have no idea."

"I was a nervous wreck when Charlie was being born. Of course that was back in the day when the men still stayed out in the waiting room and just paced back and forth."

"I fully expect you to be there holding my hand." Sam said firmly.

"Okay, but I can't promise not to pass out." Jack chuckled.

Sam smiled but turned around to face the bathroom door again when there was a single sharp cry. Jack got up off the couch and walked over to her. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist while they waited. There was a small shrill noise, that was little more than a tiny squeak followed by excited chatter from Tai.

It was a few more minutes before the new parents emerged from the bathroom. Ser'in was in her white robe once again and in her arms was a bundle of towels. Ser'in nuzzled at the towels and purred loudly. Tai looked like he was going to start jumping up and down at any moment, his eyes were completely emerald with no signs of his pupils.

Ser'in came up to Sam and Jack with Tai right behind her, his hands on her shoulders. It took her a moment to unwrap all of the swaddling that they'd hidden the new life in. Sam's whole face lit up at the sight of the tiny creature in Ser'in's arms. The baby dragon was a bright aqua colour with shiny new scales. Unlike a human baby this little one was almost the same body proportions as an adult, only much smaller. Less than a foot in length the little dragon rolled over in her nest of towels, exposing the fact that she had a long tail. Sam was a bit surprised by this, but then decided that the dragons probably grew out of their tails as they aged.

"Mazal tov!" Jack congratulated. "It's a...well I guess it's a boy and a girl, isn't it?"

"She's so tiny." Sam smiled. "Congratulations you two."

"Tank you." Ser'in beamed.

"Jac'antha." Tai announced proudly.

"What does that mean?" Jack asked.

"I think it's her name." Sam replied. "It's a combination of our names."

"Yess, yess." Tai nodded. "Tank you."

Sam was speechless and simply pulled Tai into a warm hug. He chuckled and returned the affection. Ser'in sighed heavily and her eyelids started to look heavy. Tai led her over to the bed and took Jac'antha from her so that she could lay down. Within moments she was fast asleep.

Tai walked back over to Jack and Sam. They all sat down on the couch and Tai stared at his new child. It looked to Sam like something he had wanted for a long time, his emerald eyes held nothing but pure wonder as he watched the tiny dragon's every move. Jac'antha opened her slightly over sized eyes, revealing them to be emerald just like her father's.

Tai squawked quietly in delight and leaned in to nuzzle the young dragon. Jac'antha reached out with her tiny hands and clamped them down on Tai's lip. The new father licked his child causing the little dragon to squeak. Exhausted from being brought into the world the aqua reptile curled up with her tail hugged against her chest. Tai sighed contently.

"Jac'antha is beautiful, Tai." Sam said softly.

"Tank you, I love. I fear I never have...never had true mate before."

"Well you have a wonderful mate now."

"Tai," Jack said "we can't take you away from this. Your family needs you."

"He's right, Tai. Just let us go"

"No. I never be true mate if promise make never keep."

Jack sighed and shook his head sadly. There was clearly no talking Tai out of taking them to Ketch. Tai cuddled his new child to his chest again and then offered the little one to Sam. At first Sam was hesitant to take her, but Tai insisted. She took the small creature into her arms along with the bundle of fluffy towels.

"I be back." Tai announced.

"Where are you going?"

"Need food for Jac'antha."

"Of course. We'll keep Jac'antha safe."

"I know." Tai beamed.

Tai got up and leaned into nuzzle Jac'antha once more. He went over to Ser'in and gently licked the side of her face as she slept. After he was gone Sam looked down at the alien child in her arms. The sky coloured reptile curled up a little tighter and then yawned. Opening her green eyes she looked up at Sam and made a quiet purring sound. Closing her eyes she went back to sleep.

"Isn't she adorable?" Sam cooed.

"She's a lizard...not high on my list of 'cute things'."

"Oh come on."

"Alright, alright, she does has a certain charm."

Jack reached out and gently brushed the side of Jac'antha's face. The new dragon wriggled happily at his touch. She looked more like a lizard than her parents with her slender body and long tail. Before Jack could pull away she wrapped her arms around his finger and held on with a surprising grip. A grin lit up Jack's face as the dragon started gnawing on his finger. The reptile was determined to draw blood, but was unable. Once released Jack put his arm over Sam's shoulders and hugged her close.

"I think I'm a little less nervous about the possibility of being pregnant." Sam announced.

"Really?"

"Yes." Sam smiled. "I want this for us."

"Maybe something a little more human?"

Sam chuckled.

"Do you have any thoughts on if you are or not?" Jack asked quietly.

"No. One minute I am convinced that I must be, the next I can't even imagine that I'm capable of it."

"Capable?"

"I've lived in a man's world for so long, trying my hardest to deny my femininity because I always felt it held back my Air Force career. I don't know...it's just hard for me to imagine myself as a mother."

"You are going to be a wonderful mother." Jack smiled. "And you are all woman."

"Is that why you call me 'Samantha' instead of just 'Sam'." Sam teased.

"That's part of it." Jack nodded. "The other is the fact that you get a different look in your eyes when I call you Samantha."

"I do?"

"Oh yeah, and you flush ever so slightly each time. I love it."

Sam turned away because she knew was flushing right now. Jack smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. They spent a few moments just watching the aqua dragon sleep. Jac'antha kicked her legs as some unknown dream tickled her mind. She furrowed her brow as if she was going to start crying but she quickly calmed when Sam ran her fingertip down the bridge of her broad nose. Jack kissed Sam's cheek again.

"I hope you are pregnant."

"Even so far from home?" Sam asked.

"We'll be home before you know it." Jack said confidently.

"I've been feeling guilty about the position I've put us both, possibly the three of us, in."

"I know," Jack nodded "but it takes two to tango and you didn't make the decision alone. Either way it is going to work out. Unlike Ser'in we could have two months or more before you even begin to show."

"True." Sam sighed.

"You don't sound very happy."

"I never thought that I would have children, I figured my career would always keep me from being able to be a parent. Faced with the reality that I could already be on my way is...well...frightening."

Sam was staring down at Jac'antha as though the new life was going to break. Jack flashed Sam a sad smile, her mood instability was concerning him a bit. He held her closer and looked down at the baby dragon held so naturally in her arms. Kissing her temple he rested his forehead against her.

"You are going to be a wonderful mother. And being a father is the greatest experience of my life." Jack said quietly. "I never thought I'd have the heart to try again. Now I can hardly wait."

Sam nodded as she took a deep breath and tried to keep tears slipping from her bright eyes. Jack reached out and caressed the side of her face. He turned her face to look at him and touched his nose to hers. She chuckled but at the same time started crying. Jack moved so that she could hide her tears on his shoulder. He rubbed between her shoulder blades.

"Do you even know why you're crying?" Jack asked gently.

"No."

"That's okay, you don't need a reason."

It didn't take Sam long to cry herself out. Jack rubbed the tears stains off her face and smiled at her. She bravely smiled back. Ser'in purred in her sleep and rolled over onto her back before waking up. It took her a moment to sit up and when she saw Sam and Jack cuddling together with her new child her eye dilated and she smiled.

Sam got up and brought Jac'antha over to her mother. Ser'in reached out and took the bundle with care. She laid down on the bed on her side and placed Jac'antha down on the bed as well. She worked the towel open and exposed the sleeping dragon to the warm tropical air. Ser'in ran her fingertips down the child's back as she purred.

Jac'antha woke up with a squeak. Rolling over onto her back she played with her mother's hand with her long tail whipping around happily. It didn't take long before the little dragon wanted to start exploring. She couldn't stand, but she was already good at crawling and climbing.

"Sam'an'tha, join us." Ser'in offered.

Sam smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. Jac'antha instantly saw Sam as an obstacle to be surmounted. She dug her sharp nails into Sam's pants and hauled herself into her lap. Sam laughed as the dragon slithered her way up her shirt and over her shoulder. Jac'antha reached up and grabbed onto Sam's ear and then pulled herself up to put her small mouth on it.

Ser'in removedJac'antha from Sam's ear and placed her back down to the bed where she continued to hunt and crawl around. When she came to the relatively gigantic pillow she sunk her teeth into it and started to try and shred the feather stuffed pillow. Ser'in pulled her away from her prey and she squawked unhappily.

"Jac'antha hungry."

"Tai left to get something to eat."

"Tai wonderful mate." Ser'in purred. "You make me know Tai. Tank you."

"You're welcome."

Ser'in held Jac'antha in one arm and pulled Sam into a hug with the other. Sam hugged her back and then chuckled as she felt Jac'antha gnawing on her neck. She and Ser'in actually had a little trouble this time getting the tiny hungry dragon off of her. Luckily Jac'antha's teeth weren't big enough to do any real damage.

"Dali, sorry, Sam'an'tha."

"It's okay." Sam replied as she rubbed at the scratch on her throat.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that little Jac'antha there thinks we're prey." Jack laughed. "She was chewing on me earlier."

"I'm willing to bet that Tai's vegetarian diet is not the norm among this race."

"Well I hope this little predator doesn't mind fruit."

Tai knocked softly on the door before rejoining the group. He had gone a little overboard with his shopping spree. With four bags in his arms he put them down on the table with a huff. Before showing off his prizes he came over to tickle Jac'antha and give Ser'in the alien version of a kiss. Jac'antha squeaked desperately and snapped her tiny jaws.

Chuckling Tai went back over to the bags and produced a fruit that looked a lot like a kiwi crossed with an orange. Using in nails like a knife Tai peeled the fruit. Ser'in spread out the towel on the bed and placed Jac'antha down on it. Tai placed the green fruit in front of the dragon. The fruit was bigger than her head and she looked at it doubtfully.

"I think she wants a steak, Tai." Jack teased.

Tai tilted his head to the side and picked up the fruit to take a bite himself. When he put it back down Jac'antha got the point and attacked it with vigor. Everyone laughed as Jac'antha munched down as much of the fruit as her stomach would hold and then just tore apart the rest. There was sticky green fruit all over her by the time she was done.

Ser'in lifted Jac'antha up high and the aqua reptile squealed with delight. Ser'in disappeared off into the bathroom to wash up the messy newborn. Tai started unpacking the bags. He had bought several soft blankets, a week's supply of food, a few objects that Sam couldn't identify, and several plush animal toys.

"Those toys are going to be in tatters." Jack commented.

"Yess." Tai shrugged. "Jac'antha needs to...uh...learn. We born wild."

"I can see that."

It took Jac'antha just two days to destroy the toys that Tai had purchased. He left to buy more, only this time when he returned he also had a long package with him. Ser'in and Jac'antha were firmly bonded now and spent most of their time playing with one another. Jac'antha purred with delight when given a fire coloured plush dragon that looked a lot like her father. She did not destroy this one, but rather held it tight and fell asleep.

Tai pulled Ser'in out onto the high balcony of their hotel room. Sam listened to their quiet conversation while Jack inspected the long package that Tai had placed on the table. Ser'in had broken down into tears but she was agreeing with everything Tai said. Jack unwrapped the package and discovered it was a long rifle. When Tai returned to the room Jack turned a disapproving look on him.

"Tai, we only ask that you take us to Ketch not a step further."

"Ja'ck..."

"No, kak." Jack said firmly. "I am not going to be responsible for Jac'antha growing up with a stuffed animal as her only memory of her father."

"Promise..."

"No, time for a new promise. You need to promise Ser'in you're coming back. Take us to the Ketch border, no further."

Tai thought carefully about what Jack had said. Ser'in had come back inside and was bitting on her lower lip nervously. Sam had no doubt that Tai would follow them into the heart of Ketch to deliver them to the Stargate, but then they would have no way to help him safely home. He'd be alone in the jungles of Ketch. Tai seemed to be having this thought as well. He looked down at Jac'antha as she slept peacefully with her present.

"Dak, yes. Tai take Ja'ck, Saman'tha to edge Ketch. Promise Ser'in, Jac'antha to return."


	28. Chapter 28

NOTE from the Phoenix: I am going on vacation from this coming Tuesday to next Tuesday and I don't know if I'll have time to write or not. So have no fear if I don't update next week and you all enjoy Thanksgiving all of you who enjoy such things!

Chapter Twenty-eight

"We're lost, aren't we?"

"Well there are two kinds of lost." Jack replied. "There is 'not knowing how to get to where you are going', and then there is the more severe 'not knowing where you are'."

"I think we're suffering from both right now."

"You could be right."

Tai was sitting on a rock with map opened up in his lap and the rifle he'd bought propped up against the rock. He seemed concerned and tapped on the small device in his hands. Jack came over and took a look at the map. They had traveled a long way in a rented vehicle, but when the roads ended Tai insisted on getting them to the true border. He had been showing Jack how to use the device that was much like a GPS, but something didn't seem to be adding up.

"What's going on, Tai."

"No water."

"We have plenty of water."

"No...uh...no move water."

"I think he means that there should be a river here." Sam said.

"Yes, yes, move water, never here." Tai tapped on the screen again as if that would change things.

Jack asked for the device and Tai handed it to him. The screen clearly showed their location as a little black dot. Currently that dot was on the edge of a small river or stream. He looked around at the topography and it didn't even appear that there had once been a river here, so it wasn't likely that it had simply dried up.

"We crossed a small river back when we were still in the car." Jack thought out loud.

"The device doesn't show a road over the river." Sam noted.

"Something's not right."

"We need to find a landmark."

"Keep walking, come to move water." Tai suggested. "Must be Polis to here."

"I'm guessing Polis means South." Jack said.

Sam asked Tai for the map and he handed it to her. She had been studying it on the ship ride over, but without a way to understand scale she still struggled with it. However the Ketch border was not far from the river that they were trying to find. They had been traveling on foot for three days and had transversed a large distance. They were supposed to have reached the border today, but if they weren't near the river they still had a few days ahead of them.

"Sir, if something is wrong with the GPS, then the river we drove over could be the one we are looking for."

"'Sir'?"

"Sorry, Jack, I'm nervous and old habits die hard."

"Understandable. Wait we drove over that river four days ago and kept driving for the rest of that day, plus we've been walking for three days. If the border is close to that river we could be hundreds of miles into Ketch right now."

"Which is why I'm nervous."

"We need to turn back, we can't risk taking Tai further into Ketch looking for a landmark that might not exist."

Tai was already packed up to keep moving in the direction that they were traveling in. When Jack tried to explain that he felt they might already be in Ketch Tai was doubtful. He didn't want to turn around because they would be risking wasting three days of hard travel. Jack and Tai began an argument, something the alien race was quick to begin.

Sam watched the pair try and make their points while patchworking the two languages together. She rubbed at her sour stomach. She had been slightly nauseous for the past five days, but she had refused to give into the sickness and actually vomit. Sam knew the instant she did Jack would jump to certain conclusions and she felt it was because of anxiety and not morning sickness.

There had been a time in her life not so long ago that she would have plowed into any war torn area without hesitation. That seemed almost like a different life time ago. While Jack and Tai continued to debate Sam suddenly felt a dull pain in addition to the general nausea. The added discomfort sent her stomach over the edge.

Sam turned away from the others but only made it a few feet before falling to her knees. Once she started retching she found herself unable to stop. She felt Jack kneel down next to her and put his hand on her lower back. She tensed as he did so because her back had been sore for the past few days from the long hikes.

Bile burned at the back of her throat as she slowly regained control of her rebelling stomach. Jack started to help her to sit back, but she insisted that he help her to her feet. She avoid Jack's eyes for a moment, not wanting to see his worried expression. Sam pulled back in surprise when he put the back of his hand against her forehead.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"I think you have a fever."

"It's just the heat and humidity of the jungle. I'm fine."

"I believe you, but in any case we have to turn back."

"I agree."

Tai was watching them with concern and instantly agreed to turn back. Sam was grateful that Jack didn't ask her if she thought it was morning sickness. It would just be a question she couldn't answer and do nothing but add to her anxiety. Sam was furious at herself for not being able to decide if she was pregnant or not, she felt it was something that she should just instinctively know.

Of course what she didn't dare admit to even herself was the fact that instinct was screaming at her that she was, but the part of her mind that wanted to just focus on getting home was in denial over it. She was terrified of the thought that she might end up responsible for them missing their one good chance at getting to the Stargate.

"Jack...I think Tai should be the only one to turn back."

"We have no idea where we are, if we turn back we can make it to a landmark."

"That's not why you want to turn around and you know it." Sam accused. "We have just as a good a chance of finding a landmark if we go forward and at least we know we're getting closer to the Gate. We have a copy of the map, we're well trained. We go ahead and Tai goes back to Ser'in and Jac'antha."

"I want to take him half way back." Jack bargained. "That way he won't be in the jungle alone too long and if your fever gets worse we'll be closer to help."

Sam nodded and started to follow Tai as they headed back the way they had come. Tai had given up on the digital mapping device. As they walked along Sam became more aware of the fever that Jack had brought to her attention. Sweat had been dripping off her skin for days, but now it felt cold.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Jack asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Ja'ck?"

Jack held his hand up for silence and cocked his head to the side to hear better. Sam didn't know what he was talking about until she heard the sound as well. It was a heartbreaking weeping. Tai clearly heard it as well and the trio looked to one another about what they were going to do about it. Jack started walking towards the crying.

"We should check it out." Jack announced.

Sam and Tai weren't so sure that they agreed, however they followed him. There was a rise in the earth that they carefully made their way over. Everyone crouched down low as they peeked over the rise. On the other side of the mound was a clearing that held a human female. She had one ankle caught in some sort of snare trap that had half her body lifted up off the ground. Blood ran down her leg where she had been scratching at the rope to escape.

Unable to free herself she had broken down into tears. It was hard to tell how long she'd been trapped, however there were signs that she'd been struggling for at least a few hours. Tai had tensed upon seeing her and automatically went to help her.

"Tai, wait!" Jack hissed.

Tai paid no attention to him and fearlessly walked towards the ensnared woman.

"He really is like Daniel in a scaly coat." Jack grumbled.

Sam chuckled and broke cover as well. Tai was almost upon the woman when he stepped on a branch and it broke with a sharp sound. Alerted the female looked up at him and screamed at the top of her lungs. She jerked at her tangled leg and fought desperately for freedom.

"Tai, cut her down quick." Jack ordered. "Everyone in whole damn jungle is going to hear this."

Tai nodded and pulled out a small knife. Seeing the blade the woman panicked. Jack stepped up and took the knife away from Tai, in hopes that having another human help her might calm the woman down. She did seem less apprehensive about Jack's approach and stopped screaming. Jack reached out and grabbed the rope and cut through it.

Falling to the ground the woman scrambled away from her rescuers. She was wild looking and her dark eyes held a cornered animal look about them. Although she was dressed it was in very simple cloth that she'd wrapped around her chest and waist. After staring at them for a minute she turned and bolted off into the jungle.

"You're welcome." Jack said dryly. "Okay, kids, let's ge..."

Jack was cut off as he stepped into another one of the snare traps. The rope snapped tight around his ankle and ripped him off his feet. He landed hard on his back which knocked the breath out of him. Suddenly staring up at the tree canopy Jack crossed his arms over his chest and sighed.

"It must be true that no good deed goes unpunished." Jack muttered.

"Looks that way." Sam smiled.

Tai had chuckled as well, however now he was searching for the knife that Jack had dropped. The leaf litter was thick and he was having trouble locating the knife. He put the rifle he was carrying down and started looking through the leaves with his hands. When he still couldn't find it Sam got down on her knees and helped.

"As much as it feels good to get off my feet for a while I really don't feel like hanging around here."

"Any idea where the knife went?"

"No...wait...maybe I'm laying on it."

Sam snaked her hands under his shoulders but he turned out to be laying on a sharp stick. She thought she heard Tai make a noise of triumph, but when she looked at him his eyes were wide with terror. Sam's blood flashed to ice as she caught sight of a brown dragon in tattered clothing standing about a hundred feet away with a weapon trained on them. Tai went to retrieve the gun he had put down but the brown dragon fired at them and charred the leaves between Tai and the weapon.

"Carter, what the hell was that?"

"We've been caught."

"Run..."

"It's too late for that."

Sam was right, the brown dragon was not alone and it wasn't long before a dozen of his friends showed themselves. They were all dressed in random clothing, some of them only wearing pants. They all held weapons, but of different kinds and states of repair. They approached cautiously keeping their sights mainly on Tai. Once they were surrounded a blood red dragon stepped up to Tai and glared at him.

"Hol a te?!" He demanded.

"Kak ne, no one." Tai replied forgetting to only reply in his own language.

"A te Indigo?"

"Kak, kak, kak Indigo." Tai denied. "Ne...uh...ne relatis."

Sam's heart was pounding against her rib cage. She knew that 'Indigo' was the name of the military force that was on the other side of this battle, making these the rebels. She felt she recalled that 'relatis' was what Tai had called the poachers. However the leader of this group didn't believe the story for one second and struck Tai across the face hard enough to knock him back.

"Barin da!" The red dragon barked.

"Whoa, wait, can we talk about this?" Jack asked.

No one paid attention to Jack's question. Sam felt one of the aliens come up from behind and throw a quickly made noose around her neck. She realized that if she had bolted at the start they probably wouldn't have bothered to chase her. She was just an animal to them. However it was too late now and she had no intention of leaving Jack and Tai alone.

Tai cried out in fear as they roughly took his wrists and forced them behind his back. As they tied up their captive and worked on getting Jack under control Sam kept her eyes on the rifle that Tai had dropped. Seeing an opportunity Sam started to lean towards the weapon. Tai had shown them how to take the safety off so that it could be easily fired.

When she reached out to take the weapon a sharp pain lanced up her left side. Shocked by the pain she let out a breathless cry. She didn't understand, no one had touched her. One of the dragons took offense to her making noise and there was another crack of pain followed by a flash of light and darkness.

Regaining consciousness was not easy. Several time she came near the surface and sunk back into the murky depths of a dreamless sleep. When she did come to she instantly knew she was laying on the ground with her head in Jack's lap. He was stroking her hair rhythmically. As Sam struggled to get her body to listen to her commands she tried to open her eyes. Jack noticed and covered her eyes with his hand.

"Don't open your eyes." Jack said softly.

"What?"

"There is nothing to see."

Sam couldn't comply with the request and pushed Jack's hand away. Opening her eyes Sam shivered at the sight of bars. Forcing herself to sit up she looked around at the small cage made of a wood that look very similar to bamboo. The cage was narrow. There was just enough room to sit up and only room for one of them to lay down at a time.

They were on the edge of a camp that was hidden in the dense jungle. There wasn't much going on in their immediate area and they were unguarded. Sam twisted around in the tight quarters to look at Jack. The clear sign of a struggle were battered into his body and clothing. His throat had a deep purple bruise around it from fighting the noose. The blood that had dried to his face was unmarked by tears. As Sam looked at him she found his dark eyes were frighteningly unemotional and cold.

"Sir?"

"I'm sorry, Carter, I did everything I could." jack replied vacently.

"You sound like you've given up."

"Things look fairly bleak."

It wasn't like Jack to talk like this and it added to Sam's fear. He saw the effect he was having on her and forced a smile. Jack reached out and brushed the dirt off the side of her face. Sam was just about to ask him what their next move was when a shrill scream sliced through the humid air. Tears brightened Sam's eye as the anguished cry repeated.

"Tai?"

"Yes." Jack nodded solemnly. "They're torturing him until he tells them what they want to hear."

"How long has this being going on?"

"Hours."

Jack's voice held no emotion, but his body language and slightly unfocused eyes spoke of the stress he was under. Sam closed her eyes and let the tears spill down her face. Jack pulled her into a comforting embrace and held her to his chest. His hot breath washed over her as he sighed. Tai cried out again, but this time his voice was far weaker.

It wasn't long after that Tai was dragged into view. Sam almost didn't recognize him since his fire orange skin had turned a pale yellow under the stress of torment. Rather than being placed in a cage the blood red dragon tossed a rope up over an over hanging branch from one of the jungle's large trees. He tied Tai's wrists together and had the rope tied off so that Tai could be on his knees, but he couldn't lay down.

Tai was about fifteen feet from where Jack and Sam were being kept. When the red dragon was gone Tai forced his eyes open. He looked around and when he spotted Jack and Sam he struggled briefly with his tether. Giving in his whole frame relaxed, putting strain on his wrists.

"Dali...sorry."

"Tai..."

Sam stopped, there was no point the dragon had passed out. She could feel every muscle in Jack's body tensing in rage. There was nothing he could do at the moment, he had already explored every possibility to escaping the wooden cage. Sam felt bile rising to the back of her throat again, but managed to keep from dry heaving.

The pain that had kept her from reaching the weapon returned and she jerked spasmodically. Jack just held her closer. The pressure made the pain worse, but she wasn't about to pull away from him. Knowing that tears weren't helping Sam forced herself to stop and started looking around for any means of escape.

An hour later the sun was starting to sink and as far as Sam could tell they were truly helpless. Jack hadn't interrupted her attempts to try all of the things that he'd tried already. He knew she had to see for herself if they were truly trapped or not. It wasn't until she cut herself on the twisted metal that held the bars together that he pulled her away and back into his arms.

Jack was sitting with his back up against the bars and he insisted that Sam sit wither her back leaning against his chest. Exhausted and feeling chilled despite the warm air Sam accept his offer and wrapped her hands over her stomach. She wasn't to the point of despair that she felt Jack had slipped into, but she was close.

A dull green dragon that was slightly overweight came waddling up to the cage with a rolled up piece of canvas under one arm. He poked Jack in the arm and got no response. However when he went to do the same to Sam Jack bared his teeth at him in a defensive snarl and pulled her as far from the dragon as he could.

The olive coloured alien thought about this for a moment before backing up a few feet and sitting down. He placed the canvas down and unrolled it. Sam looked at the assortment of heavy knives that was held in the canvas and shuddered. At first she feared that the dragon was here to torment Tai further. However when he picked up a heavy meat cleaver she had a new thought.

"Jack...are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm thinking we're on the menu."


	29. Chapter 29

NOTE from the Phoenix: I felt so bad for leaving you guys where I did that I spent the night getting you guys another chapter. Don't say I never did nothing fer ya! Giggle. This is not the last chapter, but we are getting close. Enjoy!!

Chapter twenty-nine

Jack sighed heavily and looked down at Sam who was quietly muttering in her sleep. He'd been sitting with his back against the wooden bars for so long that they were digging into his flesh. Unconcerned with the discomfort Jack reached up and stroked Sam's damp hair to try and settle her nightmares. Sitting up as well, resting her back against his chest, she looked oddly comfortable.

The same could not be said for Tai. Jack looked out of the bars at the dragon bathed in moonlight. It was hard to tell in the cold blue light of the moon if Tai had regained his usual fire colour or not. He woke on occasion and moaned as he tried to get to his feet. He always failed and passed out again after a brief fight with his restraints.

Jackknew that he and Sam should be dead, and that it was only serendipity that had staved off the execution. The drab green dragon had sharped his knifes in their view. He did not seem to do so out of cruelty, it just needed to be done. It was like a farmer sharpening his ax in the chicken yard. When he was done he had fetched a rifle to make a cleaner kill.

"Kak! Kak, far'is!" Jack had cried while shielding Sam as best he could. "No, please, far'is, please..."

The olive dragon had paused at hearing Jack's plea in his own language. He lowered the gun for a moment and stared at the pair thoughtfully. Sam had been close to delusional from fever at the time but she added a quiet plea for mercy as well. The dragon had shaken his head and raised his weapon again. Jack held onto Sam tightly enough to cause her to whimper in pain while he waited for the killing shot. The only thing that kept the reptile from firing was the slaughter of another forest creature.

A hunting party had returned with three large deer like animals. With enough meat for the evening it was wiser to keep the pair alive to keep their own flesh from going to spoil. Jack and Sam had even been offered a small portion of the roasted deer which they had refused to eat. Although Jack had insisted that Sam drink the water they were offered.

Sam's fever had spiked sharply near sunset and was still burning her skin hours later. Unable to do anything else Jack took a deep breath and blew cool breath over her sweat soaked skin. He didn't understand why she was suddenly so ill. Over the past few hours he'd watched her deteriorate at a rapid pace and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

"I'm sorry I was so hopeless." Jack whispered to the sleeping Sam. "I knew you needed me to be strong, but I just couldn't, I'm sorry. Whatever this is, fight it and I swear I'll get us out of this....somehow."

Sam jerked convulsively in her light sleep. Jack closed his eyes and held her closer to keep her from hurting herself. He tried his hardest to take whatever this pain was on himself, but of course there was no way he could carry the burden for her. She radiated an unnatural heat and was starting to pant heavily for breath. It was different from when she'd been dying of starvation, then she had just been slipping away, here she was violently struggling against something.

"I've got you," Jack said softly "you're safe."

It was a lie, but he figured she couldn't hear him anyway and it made him feel better to pretend to be useful. Sam suddenly gasped awake and fought with the arms that were restraining her. Jack released her and she pitched forward. The sound of Sam violently dry heaving startled Tai awake. His emerald eyes caught the dim moonlight and blazed a fiery green for a moment before they rolled back into his head. Sam finished her retching with a choked sob.

"I'm sorry..." Sam whimpered.

"Don't apologize. It isn't your fault."

"Yes it is...I should have told you."

"Told me?"

Sam didn't elaborate she just growled through her clenched teeth as her heavy breathing raced out of control. Terrified Jack reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. Sam recoiled from his touch as far as she could in the small enclosure. Curled up in a tight ball with her arms wrapped over her stomach Sam broke into tears. Jack's blood chilled and his stomach knotted tightly enough that he feared he was going to be sick as well.

"Samantha..."

"I'm losing our baby."

Jack was too shocked to respond. Sam threw her head back and wailed against the agony of the murderous labour. Jack had thought that he had run out of tears to shed, but they streamed down his face now. Seeing how terrified she was he didn't want to force her into an embrace, but he was desperate to help in some way. Jack held out his hand without touching her. Sam had weld her eyes shut and didn't see the offer for support.

"Take my hand, Samantha."

Sam forced her eyes open. She looked at Jack's hand as if it was a snake that was going to bite her. Afraid that he was adding to her stress Jack went to pull his offer away. Horror filled Sam's eyes and she quickly sreached out and grabbed his hand firmly. Jack tried to hide his reaction to the hot sticky blood that covered her hand. She was drenched in blood and sweat but he still drew her closer.

When Sam tried to move towards Jack she was wracked with another strong contraction. Jack acted quickly to keep her from falling forward. He collected her into his arms and lifted her up into his lap. Cradled in his arms she grabbed a fist full of his shirt to hang on. He worked his fingers into her free hand and she squeezed them tightly. Trying to stay quiet she whimpered and moaned between her tears.

Jack's heart felt like someone was twisting a knife into it. Trying to be brave he whispered meaningless words of reassurance as Sam buried her face into his shirt and continued to cry. She shivered and gasped for breath through complicated miscarriage. Sam tensed as another stab of pain increased the speed of the blood loss. Jack swallowed the bile that rose to his lips as he felt Sam's hot blood seeping through his clothing.

"I'm so sorry, Jack." Sam gasped through her tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Jack said firmly.

"I've murdered our child."

"Samantha, you have been to the brink of death and back more times that I care to count recently. You're thirty pounds lighter than you should be, you've been walking for days, knocked unconscious, and threatened with death at the hands of a butcher. How could anyone expect you to carry a child through this?"

"I should have known sooner," Sam insisted vacently "I should have told you days ago when I suspected..."

"Stop. Nothing could have prevented this. It's not murder, it's nature."

Sam nodded half heartedly and buried her face deeper into Jack's embrace. He rocked her gently and rubbed her lower back with his free hand knowing that she would have a great deal of pain there. Sam squeezed the hand that she held captive tight enough to cause pain, but Jack didn't complain. Her fever was breaking and along with the release from the heat came a greater awareness of what was happening.

"Tai?"

"He's alive." Jack assured. "Don't worry about him right now."

Nodding again Sam suddenly struggled to escape Jack's grip. He let her go and she started retching again. With nothing in her stomach it was mostly an unproductive act, but one she couldn't control. In the blue light of the moon the blood that stained her light coloured clothing looked almost black. The amount of blood was alarming and when Sam glanced down at herself she gasped violently.

"I'm going to bleed to death before I have a chance to be shot by hungry lizards."

"You're going to be just fine, and we are going to get out of here."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Sam turned her aqua eyes on Jack and to his surprise she managed a genuine smile. It quickly faded as she began trembling, but at least it had shown that the woman he loved was still with him. Jack held his arms open and she made herself as comfortable as she could in his lap. Still panting, but no longer crying Sam rested her head on his chest and tried to breath through the ordeal.

"I love you." Jack said tenderly.

"I love you back."

Jack smiled sadly and kissed the top of her head. As the moon made its way across the night sky Jack rubbed at Sam's arms and back to try and help her in any way he could. The worst seemed to be over, however she continued to hemorrhage. Sam reasoned that the continual bleeding was probably a good thing since a complete miscarriage wouldn't require any further medical attention. By the time the sun was starting to peek through the trees Sam was tired and shaken, but no longer in the extreme pain she'd suffered through during the night.

Past most of the physical pain tears slipped down Sam's cheeks once more as the emotional realization of what had happened struck her. Although exhausted Jack noticed her renewed tears and he reached up to brush them away. She looked up and locked eyes with him and he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

"How are you doing?"

"I should feel relieved, but I don't." Sam admitted. "I'm miserable, my heart hurts so much."

"The loss of a child, no matter if they have been born or not, is always difficult."

"I should be grateful that I haven't condemned another life to this world."

"You feel whatever emotion you are feeling, end of story. No 'shoulds'. Don't hold on to any guilt for anything you're going through."

"I feel...I feel like I've lost someone close to my heart."

"So do I." Jack admitted and hugged Sam closer. "We'll try again, next time it will be different. We'll be home..."

"You really still think we're going to make it?"

"Hey, I made a promise, didn't I?"

"You did."

"What kind of mate would I be if I didn't see that promise through?"

"Live or die you'll still be the greatest mate I could ever ask for."

Jack chuckled quietly and nuzzled Sam affectionately. They were both soaked in drying blood, but neither one cared. She was still bleeding and probably would for several days, but the blood loss had dramatically reduced. Sam rubbed at her sore stomach, but assured Jack that she was feeling better. A quiet purr caused Jack to look up and through the bars.

Tai had woken and had found enough strength to get to his feet. He held the rope that kept him tethered tightly in his hands and used it for some support. Tai was staring at them, seemingly oblivious to the blood, only seeing their interaction. Sam reached through the bars even though Tai was too far away to touch.

"Tai, hang in there...sorry, poor choice of words."

"Saman'tha, Ja'ck, good friends, I will be missing you. I are sorry I not take you home."

"We're not dead yet, Tai." Jack said confidently. "Just give me a minute to figu..."

"Zingiha!!" A sudden shrill cry sliced through the tranquil morning.

A strikingly white dragon had come out to check on Tai but had frozen in place at the sight of Sam and Jack. His eyes were wide with shock and his whole frame was trembling. He took a step closer and then retreated two steps back.

"Zingiha!!" He screamed again.

"Tai, what does 'zingiha' mean?" Jack asked.

"Is name of leader...they afraid of you, of so much blood not bringing death."

"Never trust anything that bleeds for three days and doesn't die." Jack muttered to himself.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Nothing." Jack said innocently.

The red dragon from the previous day came out of the largest tent. He did not look like he was impressed by being woken early. Zingiha started to yell at the white dragon, but the pearl scaled alien just pointed at Jack and Sam. Turning his head to look at the pair his jaw dropped. Unlike the snow dragon Zingiha raced up to the cage and fell to his knees in front of them.

"Est Telgatos?" He asked in awe.

"Dak, dak!" Tai replied desperately. "A kangi est lin'gu, a es Tral'en."

Whatever Tai had told him Zingiha instantly believed it. He started barking orders and personally unlocked the cage. The white dragon ran and got the others, all of which cried out in shock when they saw their captives. Tai was cut down and released. He stumbled over to where Jack and Sam were and fell to his knees.

As soon as Jack crawled out of the cage he helped Sam to her feet and then did the same for Tai. When he took Tai's hand to assist him the crowd gasped collectively. Everyone except Zingiha took at least ten steps back, although no one fled. Jack put his arms around Sam protectively and glared at the red dragon. Tai used the top of the cage to keep himself steady on his weak legs.

"Tai, what the hell is going on?"

"They hold it true that you are...uh...Telgatos...um..." Tai searched for the right word. He pointed to his heart and then up at the sun. "Telgatos...of nature...from above...."

"Gods." Sam supplied. "They think we're gods?"

"Yes...gods. Gods of Bloodshed."

"Telgatos es Julanis!" Zingiha cried ecstatically and bowed to the ground. "Far'is, jihana a delrio. Far'is."

"Uhhh." Jack looked to Tai.

"They wish you to bless their War."

"Tell them to forget it!" Jack snarled without thinking.

Still on his knees Zingiha started to chatter to Tai in a pleading, frightened tone. It was clear that the leader knew that Tai was some sort of 'translator to the gods'. Tai listened attentively and turned to Jack.

"Zingiha begs for your mercy." Tai translated. "Zingiha wishes to know how to speak 'soorry' for captivity of Gods of Blood. Will do anything..._anything_."

"Anything you say?"

"Anything." Tai confirmed.

Jack stared down at the dragon fawning at his feet. It turned his stomach to see the creature adoring him like this, no matter what the circumstances. Sam was starting to depend on him more and more to keep her on her feet. Zingiha crept up and dared to lick at Jack's foot like a beaten dog. Jack still felt that at any moment the dragon was going to spring up and tear them both apart, however he tried to remain calm.

"Sir?"

"Carter, I know we've spent the past six years or so of our lives trying to dispel people's belief in false gods, but..."

"We could use a little divine intervention."

"My thoughts exactly."


	30. Chapter 30

NOTE from the Phoenix: Well I'm still out of town and my laptop does not want to connect to the internet here. So I'm on my hubby's lap...er...top, laptop. Anyway, couldn't keep you guys waiting too long. This is not the last chapter, but we are getting close. Sorry I haven't been able to respond to all the wonderful reviews from the last chapter! Each one was read and loved! HUGS! PS- do not annoy me with any nit-picking about Goa'uld devices and how they work, just go with the flow. Thanks.

ENJOY!!!

Chapter Thirty

Curled up in a large blanket Sam tried to focus on what they had gained rather than what they had lost. Jack seemed locked in his own thoughts as he kept her hugged close to his chest. Sitting on the floor in the back of a medium sized vehicle they were making their way down a dirt road that cut through the jungle.

Tai was sitting close to Jack and made no attempt to talk to the other dragons. He knew the fine line he was walking and the more he thought about it the more his courage failed him. He wasn't the sickly yellow colour anymore, but at the same time he wasn't the same fire orange that Sam remembered him being.

Just thinking about Jac'antha caused Sam's eyes to well up with tears once more. She would never forgive herself if Tai was unable to return to his new wife and child. They still didn't know how they were going to make sure Tai was sent home safely, but Jack had already made it clear that he wasn't leaving until he knew Tai was back with Ser'in.

Sam spent some time trying to remember what her own home looked like. Earth was such a distant memory now. She remembered the big things, but couldn't quite recall the details, like what the food at the greasy spoon diner near the Base tasted like, or what floor Daniel's office was on. In someways she was more than a little nervous about the prospect of returning to the SGC. They couldn't just pick up their lives where they'd left them.

"Jack?" Sam asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"How long do you think we've been gone?"

"No more than a week."

"I didn't mean from Ser'in, I meant from home."

"Oh." Jack stopped and thought about it. "It can't have been a year yet."

"Are you sure?"

"Maybe a year. It's kind of hard to tell."

Sam fell back into silence as she continued to try and figure out how long they'd been among the dragons. So much could change in a year. The struggle against the Goa'uld had been at its peak when they'd left. What if they were stepping out of one war zone and right back into another? The SGC might not even be there anymore. Earth itself could have been destroyed by now, it had certainly come close to destruction several times before.

"You need to stop over thinking things, Samantha." Jack said suddenly.

"Wha...what?"

"I can practically hear the gears in your mind whirring away." Jack smiled. "We've been living day to day for so long, don't give up on that just yet."

"How much do you think has changed while we gone?"

"The details have all been shuffled around, but I'm sure the basic nature of Earth is still the same."

"You're not worried about adjusting back into a normal life?"

"Nope, can't, never lived one." Jack said confidently. "Besides, we're not going back to our old lives, we're going to be starting a new one."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." Sam smiled.

Jack mirrored her smile. He was practically vibrating with excitement. There was no anxiety or doubt in his mind and it showed. It put Sam at ease to know that things weren't going to go back to the way they had been before. A new life sounded wonderful, a chance to put the past out of her mind. Jack nuzzled her and she smiled again as she realized that she had gained far more than she had lost over their stay here.

"I can't wait to see the look on Daniel's face." Jack chuckled and made a look of over exaggerated shock. "Teal'c's expression won't be as much fun, but I do miss that big guy's quiet dignified way of going about life."

"I bet we get a raised eyebrow out of him."

"You're probably right. I wonder if we can talk the two of them from taking some time off of work and joining us at the cabin in Minnesota for a few weeks. There are going to be some long stories to swap back and forth."

"I bet." Sam nodded. "Although don't you think the cabin and everything will have been sold by the government?"

"No, I willed everything I had to Daniel long ago, in case I didn't make it back one trip."

"You did?"

"I figured that he could use a home, hopefully he moved out of that little apartment after we were gone for a while and into the house. As for the cabin, I'd be really surprised if he sold it. Ah....retirement is going to be sweet."

"Do you really think you'll manage to actually retire?" Sam asked seriously.

"I have to, regulatio..."

"I was actually thinking that I would step down from the Air Force."

"What?"

"I don't think I can take anymore missions."

"You say that now, but if the Goa'uld are still a problem...and I can't imagine that they aren't, then you are going to be itching to get back out into the field. I'll probably find a way to join you, I mean Daniel and Teal'c aren't military and we let them run around the galaxy."

"That doesn't sound like retirment."

"No, I suppose not." Jack mused.

"If we are going to start a family, is it fair to keep taking such risks?"

"We can't just walk away from the fight we started."

"No, we can't."

"Wait...what are you saying?"

"I don't know." Sam lied.

"You don't want to go back."

"I didn't say that."

"Samantha, we don't have to be on the front lines to fight the Goa'uld." Jack said softly. "If you aren't comfortable having either of us going out into the field, then we won't. There are other ways. You've made more breakthroughs in the lab than anywhere else. Leave the Air Force, you're still a brillant astrophysicist."

"What about you? Could you be happy on the sidelines?"

"Despite some hardships I've been happier here with you than I've been in a very long time and this isn't the sidelines: we don't even have tickets to the game here."

"That's not the same."

"Of course it is."

"But is it fair to have a child in a world and lifestyle like ours?"

"Life's not fair," Jack leaned down and kissed Sam's temple "but it's still worth living, and brining a new soul into it."

Sam's eyes stung with tears again, but this time for a different reason. The weight that had been crushing down on her heart wasn't gone, but it lifted a little. She turned around in Jack's arms so that she could embrace him. He chuckled and bear hugged her in return.

"How did you learn to say just the right thing?" Sam smiled.

"Years of listening to Daniel."

Sam laughed and kissed Jack's cheek. She was suddenly excited again about going home, about trying for a child once more, possibly a few. Tai suddenly made himself known by purring again. When Sam looked over at him he was a lot brighter in colour. The dragon looked proud of what he had accomplished with them and Sam wished she had a way to truly thank him.

"Tai, I just wanted to say 'thank you' again. Gala."

"Bringing Ser'in to me tanks enouff." Tai said seriously.

Sam went to say more, but the vehicle came to a sudden stop. Jack showed that he wasn't as at ease as he was trying to pretend. His entire frame tensed in anticipation of trouble. The back doors opened and Zingiha bowed to them deeply and said something.

"Tree is here." Tai translated.

"Let's see if this puppy still works."

"'Puppy'?" Tai asked confused.

"Never mind. Let's go."

Jack and Sam had washed off in a near by pond before they had left on the trip, however during the travel they had both become stained again. The bleeding had almost stopped, but for right now the sight of more blood only served to deepen Zingiha's faith in them. He looked as though he had won the war already.

"Dak, dak!" Zingiha chirped as he led them out of the vehicle and pointed at the tree.

Pointing out the massive banyan tree was not really necessary, it was imposable not to stare at the gigantic battered tree. The pictures had not prepared them for the scale of the tree. Even though it had died from its wounds it was still magnificent. Jack snaked his arms around Sam's waist and breathed in her ear.

"There it is."

Sam's eyes traveled up the blasted trunk of the tree until they landed on the piece of Chevron that was exposed. Some moss had grown over it so if you didn't know what you were looking for you'd never see it. However to her it was plain as day.

"Tai, do you see it?" Jack asked.

"Yess."

"Have some of the men start to cut it out of the tree."

"I don't think that's necessary." Sam said. "It should still spin and be able to establish, after all we've got the Gate that buried underground to dial whe..."

"A busy army is a controllable army." Jack replied. "I don't want them lounging around and getting into trouble while we hunt out the DHD."

Sam nodded. Tai gave Zingiha the orders and the red dragon was more than happy to follow them. He was particularly excited when the piece of the Chevron that was exposed was pointed out to him. He chattered something in a fast paced cadence at Tai.

"Tai, what the hell is he babbling about."

"Wishes to understand if it weapon." Tai replied.

"Yeah, sure, why no..."

"No," Sam interrupted "Tai tell him it is a temple, not a weapon."

"Samantha?"

"I don't want them going after Tai when we're gone and they realize they can't use it as a weapon."

"Good point." Jack agreed.

It took a bit of gesturing to get Tai to understand the concept of a temple, but he seemed to understand. Zingiha was clearly disappointed, but it didn't do much to dampen his enthusiasm. It wasn't long before the whole jungle rang out with the sounds of the dragons hacking at the Stargate out of the tree.

"Where should they start digging?" Jack asked.

Still in Jack's lose embrace Sam broke away from him to start figuring out where to dig. She pulled the picture from the book out of her pocket and unfolded it. Some time had past since the photo was taken so she had to do a little recalculating to figure it out. Eventually she drew a large circle in the dirt.

"This would be the best place to start."

"Excellent. Tai, can you have a few of them dig this area out...carefully."

"Dak." Tai nodded.

Of the hundred or so dragons hacking at the tree Zingiha pulled away five of them and they began digging out the circle that Sam had drawn for them. Having been instructed to be careful they used only small tools to work at the hard ground. Knowing this would take hours Sam wanted to help them rather than just stand around and wait.

"Gods don't dig around in the dirt, Carter." Jack pointed out, having read her thoughts.

"I don't want to just stand here."

"Let's go take a look at the pyramids, might find something interesting that we can bring back. Tai tells me that Zingiha is very proud of the ruins, he'd probably love to take us on a tour."

"Shouldn't we wait here?"

"They've got thing under control." Jack shrugged. "Tai, tell Zingiha that we'd like to look at the pyramids."

"Dak, Ja'ck."

Sam looked doubtful, but she stepped away from the excavation. Walking back over to Jack she looked up at the progress the dragons had made. They had secured ropes around the tree and climbed up them to start at the exposed Chevron and had already managed to clear the wood away from the face of it. They seemed fascinated by a metal that their axes couldn't even put a scratch on. She just hoped that they didn't figure out that it would be easier to burn the tree down. She'd hate to be responsible for them burning down half the jungle.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"How are we going to get Tai back to Ser'in?" Sam asked.

"I've been thinking about that."

"And?"

"I'm still thinking."

Zingiha was more than thrilled to take the trio on a tour of the ruins. The pyramids were only a half mile from the Gate and they got their easily enough. Any kind of tourism had been shut down long ago and now more of the rebel men held guard over the place. The inside of the Goa'uld landing site had been turned into a museum and it still had glass cases of objects on display.

Sam looked around at the common artifacts as well as a few random Goa'uld trinkets and shivered. It just reminded her so much of their life before their capture. Rather than taking her mind off the dig it made her want to rush back and claw it out of the ground herself. Suddenly she realized that Jack had been right, it wasn't going to be long before she was going to be chomping at the bit for a chance to fight them again.

"Carter, come check this out!"

When Sam made her way over to the case Jack was trying to get Tai to tell Zingiha to open it. Since he was not the original owner of the pyramid he did not have the code to the case. However in the interest of pleasing his new found Spirits he bashed it open with the end of his gun. Jack reached in and pulled a device out and handed it to Sam.

"It's a ribbon device." Sam noted. "The Goa'uld must have left in a hurry, they don't normally leave these behind."

"Put it on and break something."

"What?"

"It will help with this whole 'god' act thing. I don't know about you, but I still don't really trust these guys. Plus it would be nice to know you had a way of defending yourself if something should go wrong."

Although still doubtful Sam knew that Jack had a good point and he couldn't use the hand device himself. Sliding the metal bracelet on felt strange. She'd only used a hand device once and she wasn't fully confident that she could do it again. Looking around she spotted a jackal headed statue of who she guessed was Anubis.

Not a big fan of the particularly nasty Goa'uld she raised the hand device to the statue. Both Tai and Zingiha watched her with curiosity. With everyone focusing on Sam no one, not even Sam, noticed Jack reach into the broken case and steal two more items which he slipped into his pocket.

Taking a deep breath Sam put all her concentration into the stone in her palm. The only person in the room that wasn't shocked to see the statue knocked into a thousand pieces was Jack. He stood there with a proud grin on his face. Tai's jaw almost dropped to the floor and Zingiha actually did. Feeling a little sheepish about a totally unnecessary show of power Sam tried to act as if nothing had happened.

"You should wear that thing out on missions." Jack beamed.

"I can't fire a gun when I'm wearing it and personally I like the P90 better for its accuracy alone."

"Yeah, but this is way cooler."

Sam smiled and shook her head sadly. Tai helped Zingiha back to his feet. The blood red dragon was talking excitedly at Sam and making odd motions with his hands. She gave him a confused look and turned to Tai. Tai didn't seem to have the words to translate what Zingiha wanted to say. In the end the red dragon just beckoned them to follow him.

"He is certainly excitable." Jack said.

"Why do I get the feeling that we don't want to see whatever it is he wants to show us?"

"Because you're a pessimist?"

Sam gave Jack a deadly glare, but he just smiled brighter. He acted as though he was walking three inches up off the ground. She was excited that they may be getting close to home, but he was just over the moon with the prospect.

Zingiha led his guests out of the pyramid and around the back to a smaller pyramid that had a set of stairs leading up to the top. The upper third of the pyramid was missing although from their vantage they couldn't see what was on the flat roof. After a few hard minutes of climbing stairs they came to the roof. Although somewhat breathless Sam and Jack both gasped.

"A Goa'uld cargo ship." Jack chuckled. "That's perfect!"

"What do we need a ship for?" Sam asked.

"To get Tai home of course."

"You think it still flies?"

"Goa'uld stuff lasts forever." Jack shrugged.

Jack walked up to the ship's entrance and activated it. It must not have ever responded to alien touch because Zingiha yelped with excitement. Everyone piled inside and Jack offered Sam the pilot's seat. She took of the hand device and laid it on the floor. Tai looked around the craft nervously but Zingiha was nearly as bouncy as Jack.

"Tai, you still got that map?" Jack asked.

"Dak." Tai replied and dug into his pocket.

"Are we going to take Tai home now?" Sam asked.

"I think we should."

"I agree." Sam smiled.

"Take Tai home?" Tai asked shocked.

"Yes, we need to make sure you and Ser'in are safe." Jack said.

"How?"

"Fly."

"What 'fly' mean?"

"Show him, Carter."

Sam nodded and turned her attention to the ships controls. She was surprised how quickly it all came flooding back to her. Taking a hold of the large spherical steering device she launched the nimble craft into the air. Tai cried out in terror, but Zingiha made a sound that was frighteningly close to 'yeeeha'.

"The only way to travel." Jack chuckled.

"Tai dislike 'fly'." Tai grumbled.

"Don't worry, Samantha is one of the best. We'll have you back to Ser'in and Jac'antha in no time, then you can forget all about this."

"No, not want." Tai shook his head. "Never want to forget you."

Jack smiled and drew Tai into a bear hug. The thin reptile squeaked from being suddenly squeezed but they both laughed afterward. Zingiha was glued to the forward screen, pointing different landmarks out to Sam. Half an hour into their journey they flew over a large base that looked military.

"Indigo! Indigo!" Zingiha cried in a rage.

"Tai, are they going to be a prob..."

Jack was cut off as shots were fired at them from the ground. Unconcerned Sam just increased their speed and it wasn't more than a few seconds that they were out of range. However the well funded army was not about to let them go without a chase and soon they had a dozen small planes up their tail feathers. They fired on them again an this time it was enough to rock the Goa'uld ship.

"What should we do, Sir?"

"Think we can just out fly them?"

"This ship's not built for real speed and maneuverability." Sam pointed out. "Plus we can't afford to get lost."

"True, but I hate to get into the middle of their war." Jack sighed as another blast rocked the ship. "On the other hand..."

Zingiha started chattering again.

"Zingiha wishes to know if he...uh...gifted his blood to you if you would destroy these birds. These birds will understand where this bird came from. They will go to Stargate if never stopped."

"Tell Zingiha to keep his blood." Jack growled.

"Sir?"

"No, choice Carter. Turn us around."

"Yes, Sir."

Jack sat down at the weapons controls. Being a cargo ship she could defend herself, but didn't have particularly strong fire power. He just hoped that it was going to be enough. The dragons on their tails didn't expect their prey to turn around so quickly and were easily caught off guard. They had armor, but it wasn't strong enough to stop two hits from the Goa'uld weapon.

Zingiha wooped and danced as Jack brought the ships down one at a time. Two of them tried to turn tail and run, but Jack was determined to ground them and ordered Sam to follow them all the way back to their base. He didn't relish the thought of killing off an enemy that he had no true fight with, at the same time he had no intention of being kept from the Stargate by more lizards.

"Do you see any more on the ground?" Jack asked.

"I think that's their runway over there."

"Take us in."

Rather than seeking out any planes they might have hidden in any number of the large hangers it was more efficient to destroy a portion of the runway. Satisfied that this air strip wasn't going to cause them anymore trouble Jack ordered Sam back towards where they had left Ser'in.

"I'm sure they have other bases and will probably either hunt us down or head for the pyramids so we need to make good-byes short." Jack said. "Push this bird to her max, she only needs to take us there and back again. What the..."

Jack pulled away as Zingiha took his hand and started licking it. Tai smiled and explained to Jack how grateful the blood red lizard was. The advantage that the planes gave the military was one of the main reasons the war continued unwon.

"Grateful or not, don't lick me."

Sam chuckled and then asked for help with their direction. It didn't take more than a few hours in the fast ship to reach the out skirts of the seaside town they had left Ser'in and Jac'antha in. Tai recognized the outline of the buildings and started chattering with excitement. Sam put the ship down in a field that didn't seem to have anyone in view.

"Tai, thank you for everything." Sam said as she gave Tai a warm hug.

"You are most welcome, Saman'tha."

"Take care of Ser'in and Jac'antha and say good bye for us." Jack added with a hug of his own.

"Tai will. Good bye, Ja'ck, Saman'tha." Tai purred. "Remember always."

"Same here." Jack said.

Jack pulled off the dog-tags and tooth necklace he was wearing. After removing the note from Sam's diary and placing it in his pocket Jack looped the gift over Tai's head. Tai's eyes dilated and he purred loudly. Unclasping the hemp necklace with the single earth coloured bead on it he secured it around Jack's throat.

"Tank you, Ja'ck."

"Gala, Tai."

Sam opened the craft door and looked around. Not seeing anyone she signaled to Tai. After one last round of hugs he stepped out into the tall grass. He looked over his shoulder one last time before sprinting off towards the road. Sam's eyes stung with tears. She watched him leave until Jack put his hand on her shoulder to let her know they had to get moving.

On their way back to the pyramids they made sure to swing out around the military hornet's nest they had stirred up on their way through. There was no questions that they were going to be sending troops towards the pyramids soon, they were just hoping that it wouldn't be too soon. As the pyramids came into sight Sam sighed.

"It's not our fight, Carter." Jack said quietly. "We have no way of knowing which side we should even be on."

"I know."

"Let's go home."

"I can't wait."

Jack leaned in and kissed Sam's cheek and she set the Goa'uld ship down on the top of the pyramid. Zingiha was itching to return to his men and tell them all that had happened. When they came through the jungle a surprise waited for them.

The whole Stargate had been chipped out of the tree, yet the tree still stood around it. Down in a shallow pit the DHD lay exposed to the late afternoon sun. Sam tried to keep her emotions in check, knowing that there was still a chance that the Gate wouldn't work. Pushing her thoughts aside she took Jack's hand and they walked down into the large pit that the dragons had dug.

"Okay, which one of these is not like the other." Jack mused.

"That one." Sam instantly pointed to a strange symbol. "I've never seen that symbol before."

"Point of Origin, check. Address..."

"Wait, we can't just dial Earth. We have no way of letting them know to open the iris and we might not have time to wait for them to dial back here, send a MALP, get approv..."

"I'm way ahead of you." Jack stopped her and knelt down to the DHD.

Sam watched him dial in an oddly familiar address. It took her a moment to recall where it led to, but when she did she smiled brightly.

"Of course," Sam nodded "perfect place to dial the SGC from."

"Yup." Jack grinned. "This way when we knock at least one person is sure to answer the door."

Once the Gate was spinning Sam finally allowed herself to truly believe that they were going to go home, or at the very least somewhere else. Jack ordered everyone away from the Gate as it began its final spin. He laced his arms around Sam's waist from behind and they both watched as the vortex splashed out towards them. The dragons either ran in fright or fell to their knees in praise and shock.

"I love that sound." Jack sighed contently.

"Sounds like home."

"Yes it does. Let's go."

Sam did not need to be asked twice and taking Jack's hand they walked up to the event horizon. Sam half expected Zingiha to run up and stop them, but he just watched from a distance. When they got to the edge of the shimmering blue pool it was Jack who brought her to a stop.

"Jack?"

"I wanted to one thing before we left, before we return to the 'real' world."

"And that would be?"

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out two rings he had taken from the broken glass case. Sam instantly flushed as she looked down at the odd rings. They looked to be made of a mix of gold and naquahda. The two metals were swirled together to make an almost wood grain pattern. She had never seen anything like them and wondered if it was a Goa'uld trend that had fallen out of fashion long ago.

Jack placed one of the rings in Sam's right hand and closed her fingers around it. With that he took her left hand in his own. He stared at her for a minute, admiring the way the shimmering light of the open gate played on her features. He took a deep breath and locked eye with her.

"I don't remember all the words, but words are hardly the point right now." Jack said softly. "I, Jack O'Neill, here by take you, Samantha Carter, to be my true mate, through better or worse, through captivity or freedom, rain or shine, for as long as we both shall live. Do you accept this ring as a token of that love?"

"I do."

Jack smiled brightly and slipped the ring over Sam's finger. The ring did not fit perfect at first, but as it got used to its new owner it quickly changed its size accordingly and by the time he released her it was as though she had always worn it. Sam took Jack's hand and the ring he had given her and tried to stop smiling long enough to repeat the words he had improvised.

"I, Samantha carter, here by take you, Jack O'Neill, to be my true mate, through better or worse, through captivity or freedom, rain or shine for as long as we both shall live. Do you accept this ring as a token of that love?"

"I do."

Sam slid the ring onto Jack's finger and it preformed the same trick as it had for her. They both stared at the dual coloured rings for a moment. Sam heard a sudden collective purring and when she looked over the whole dragon rebel army was staring at them. She flushed and turned back to Jack.

"I guess you can kiss the bride." Sam chuckled.

"I was hoping you'd say something like that."

Jack carded his fingers into Sam's hair and engaged her in a passionate kiss. When he broke free she giggled as he swept her off her feet, literally. Holding Sam in his arms he carried her through the event horizon like newly weds over the threshold. In seconds they were a hundred light years from the dragons and that much closer to home.


	31. Chapter 31

NOTE from the Phoenix: Once again sorry about not getting around to responding to all the wonderful reviews! I'll work on it when I get home, trying to respond to the 600 some odd comments is not always easy but I LOVE hearing from you guys so much that I want to respond and talk to you all! HUGS to readers!!!

There is only one chapter after this! I'm happy and sad, the same way I always am after the end of a long journey like this one! Thank you all again for coming with Jack, Sam, Ser'in, Tai, and myself on this adventure!

Chapter Thirty-one

"Ready?"

"Maybe just one more day?"

"Don't you think we've had vacation enough?" Jack asked with a sly grin.

"I suppose." Sam chuckled. "How long do you think it will take them to respond?"

"How long does it take to dial a Gate?"

"A little over two minutes."

"In that case I bet we see Daniel and Teal'c in five."

Sam laughed and stepped up to the DHD on the dry forested world. She dialed Earth and Jack reached out and pressed the activating orb in the center of the device. They watched the Gate spin and let the vortex splash out at them. After a few minutes Sam shut the wormhole down. The SGC's computers would tell them which planet was calling and if everything went according to plan they'd look into it.

"So..." Jack purred "what should we do while we wait?"

"I'm open to suggestions."

Sam put her arms around Jack's neck and pulled herself up for a kiss. They had been offered baths and new clothing from their friends here. The bleeding had finally ended and Sam felt truly healthy for the first time in weeks. Lost in the folds of their robe like clothing the pair's weight loss was less noticeable.

Jack ran his fingers through Sam's golden hair and just stared at her for a moment. She still flushed when he looked at her like that. She glanced down at the rings on their intertwined hands and smiled. Jack nuzzled her gently.

"You are so beautiful." Jack whispered. "I hope we have a daughter...although I'll have to spend the rest of my life making sure men like me stay away from her."

"Men like you? Brave, honest, and protective?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of foolish, conniving, and jealous."

Sam chuckled and shoved Jack's shoulder playfully. He stole another deep kiss and was starting to work his hands down her sides when the Gate suddenly sprang to life. They both jerked as though they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. The pair laughed ruefully.

"It's going to take a while to get used to the idea that we're not doing anything wrong, isn't it?"

"Absolutely" Jack pretended to look at a watch on his wrist. "Hmmm...fifteen minutes, a little slow on the response time."

"It could easily be the middle of the night there."

"So?"

Sam laughed at the indignant look on Jack's face. As the vortex splashed towards them again they stood side by side and watched. Jack put his arm over her shoulders and she wrapped hers around his waist. They both held their breath as they waited to see who was coming to check things out and just how surprised they were going to be.

For a fraction of a second Jack didn't recognize the man who stepped out of the even horizon. It was the ease at which he carried the large P90 that threw Jack off. However the smile that lit up his face was pure Daniel.

"Sam!" Daniel cried ecstatically. "Jack!"

"Hey, Daniel." Jack smiled. "Miss us?"

"You could say that."

Daniel quickly unsnapped the strap that kept the weapon over his shoulder and set it down. Jack and Sam stepped up and met Daniel halfway as he rushed towards them. Daniel threw his arms around them both in a powerful bear hug. Sam laughed as Daniel kissed her cheek several times. He was like a puppy happy to see his family home after they'd gone on vacation.

"I always knew you two were alive somewhere" Daniel beamed. "Although I still can't believe you're back. I mean what happened? How did you get here?"

"Maybe we didn't," Jack pointed out "maybe we just look like Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter."

"I don't need a DNA test to tell me who my friends are."

"Good." Jack smiled. "Nice to know we weren't forgotten."

"Never. Plus when I heard that the planet where I Descended was calling for no reason I knew right awa..."

"Damn it, Jackson, I said wait for the MALP!" A young Colonel with dark hair snarled as he stepped through the Gate.

Daniel made a face that Sam associated more with Jack than with the archaeologist. The irate Colonel was quickly followed by Teal'c and a striking woman with long black hair. Teal'c walked up to Jack and Sam and gave them a deep bow. Jack was about to return the gesture when Teal'c scooped him up into a hug that lifted him up off the ground.

"Oof! Easy Big Guy." Jack chuckled.

"I did not believe that we would be seeing you again." Teal'c said as he gave Sam a more gentle hug. "I am pleased to be wrong."

"Teal'c buddy...you have hair." Jack said.

"Indeed."

"Ahem." The Colonel interrupted.

"Right," Daniel went to make introductions "Jack, Sam, this is Colonel Cameron Mitchell. Mitchell this is Colonel Jack O'Neill and Major Samantha Carter."

"I have heard a lot about you both." Mitchell nodded but kept his hands on his weapon. "Pleased forgive me if I wait for further evidence of your identities."

"Cam, don't be rude." The woman snapped and then elbowed Daniel in the ribs. "Speaking of which..."

"Jack, Sam, this is Va..."

"I'm Vala." She interrupted as she held her hand out palm down to Jack.

"Charmed." Jack smiled as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Ooo, Daniel you never told me what a gentleman he is." Vala giggled and then turned to Sam. "Samantha if even half of what Daniel says is true, and I'm sure it is because he is the universe's worst liar, I just know we are going to be great friends."

"Any friend of Daniel's..." Sam smiled and suddenly found Vala's arms around her in a tight hug.

"So," Jack looked from Vala to Daniel "are you two an item..."

"No." Daniel snapped.

"Yes." Vala said at the same time.

"Better watch out, Daniel," Jack ruffled Daniel's hair "I already have the feeling that this one gets what she wants."

"I like you." Vala beamed. "Very observant."

Daniel went to roll his eyes and Jack noticed something wasn't quite right. He looked closer at his friend's face, trying to figure it out. In turn Daniel stared back at him expectantly. Clearly whatever was different Daniel had thought that Jack would have pestered him about it by now.

"Uh...Daniel?" Jack asked hesitantly. "What's wrong with your eye?"

"It's glass."

"Glass?"

"Prosthetic." Daniel clarified as he reached up and tapped on it.

"Other than not moving it looks real."

"Want me to take it out for you?"

"Good heavens no." Jack replied in horror. "How the hell did that happen?"

"I got hit up side the head with a staff weapon." Daniel shrugged. "Actually most of this side of my face is various plastics and metal under the skin."

"Some one hit you hard."

"They were angry." Daniel nodded.

"Very angry." Teal'c added.

"Who was it?" Sam asked.

"Ba'al's First Prime." Daniel answered.

"Nice." Jack approved.

"Daniel Jackson is being modest." Teal'c announced with a slight smile. "He is not sharing the whole story with you."

"Oh?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "And what part of this little tale is he hiding from us?"

"The reason behind the First Prime's anger." Teal'c said.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

"I...uh...I killed Ba'al." Daniel replied with a bit of a flush to his cheeks.

"With his bare hands." Mitchell added with obvious pride.

"It wasn't with my bare hands." Daniel corrected modestly. "I had...uh...well it was kind of like a sword."

"You killed Ba'al with a sword?" Jack repeated in shock.

"It's a long story."

"I want to hear it!"

"And I want to hear where you two have been all this time." Daniel countered.

"Well, let's wait till the briefing, I'm sure General Hammond is going to want to hear about it too."

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged a pained glance. Jack felt his blood suddenly run cold as Daniel reached out and put his hand on Jack's shoulder. Sam moved closer and took Jack's hand, also expecting to hear bad news.

"I'm sorry, Jack, General Hammond died." Daniel said sadly. "General Landry is in command of the SGC now."

"Died? How? When?"

"Heart failure, nearly a year ago."

"Just after we went missing?"

"Just after?" Daniel repeated confused. "Jack, you and Sam have been missing almost three years."

"Three years?" Sam and Jack said in shock.

"Two years and ten months to be precise." Teal'c said gravely.

"I can't believe that..." Jack trailed off.

"Guys, I hate to break the reunion up, and once again I apologize for being skeptical," Mitchell spoke up "however, we should continue this conversation back at the SGC."

"I'm all for it." Jack nodded. "I want nothing more than to see Earth...get some french fries."

"I believe I owe you a beer." Sam chuckled.

"That you do."

"Jackson, dia..." Mitchell stopped as Vala poked him in the side. "Fine, I'll dial the Gate."

"Daniel, you are in so much trouble with this one." Jack smiled as Vala winked at him.s

"You don't have to tell me." Daniel sighed.

The Gate started spinning and Jack and Sam found themselves hypnotized by it. When the wormhole established tears streaked Sam's face. Going to take a step forward she almost passed out. Jack was already at her side and steadied her. He supported her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Feels like a dream, doesn't it?"

"It does."

"Come on...let's go home."

Mitchell and Vala led the way through the Gate while Daniel and Teal'c lagged behind to step through with their long lost friends. Stepping onto the metal ramp at the SGC was like stepped back in time. There was a large collection of personnel waiting for them and upon seeing the original SG-1 united they broke into cheerful applause.

"You'd think we were heroes." Jack mused.

"Just missed." Daniel smiled. "Things haven't been the same around here without you two."

"You seem to have things under control, I mean the Earth is still here and all."

"I said they weren't the same, I didn't say we couldn't handle it."

"Good then you can handle my retiring."

"As long as we can still call on you for the occasional use of the Ancient gene."

Jack laughed and slapped Daniel on the back. A medical team along with Janet was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. Sam broke away from the others and exchanged hugs with Janet. The small doctor instantly put her hands on Sam's ribs and then looked at her disapprovingly, it was the doctor's instinct.

"Sorry." Sam said sheepishly.

"Don't be silly." Janet smiled. "I'm just thrilled to see you alive."

"I think some other folks still want a little DNA testing." Jack teased as he hugged Janet as well.

"We can do that, Colonel."

"Please, 'Jack'."

Janet looked back and forth between Jack and Sam and then hugged Sam again. The girls chuckled together. Mitchell walked up the group.

"Is General Landry here yet?"

"No," Janet shook her head "he's on his way."

"He's going to be pissed that Daniel just forged through and I brought you two back." Mitchell smiled. "However, something is starting to tell me that you're the real deal."

"Yes," Janet said in her business tone "but they both look in need of medical care."

The next four hours were just a blur for both Jack and Sam. They met with Landry and were assured that the Air Force was going to take care of them. They had officially been listed as MIA so return was not as legally difficult as it would have been if they had been declared dead. Jack insisted on retirement papers and was assured that they'd been drawn up.

It was getting late in the infirmary and things were finally settling down. Janet was still mucking around with various fluids and antibiotics, but at least their identity had been confirmed. Sam and Jack were sitting next to one another on one of the beds while Daniel and Teal'c sat on another one across from them. Everyone else had cleared out to allow SG-1 some privacy.

They swapped stories back and forth. The Goa'uld were all but gone now, however new threats were becoming more urgent as they expanded their travels into the galaxy. Jack asked Daniel to tell the story about killing Ba'al at least three time and enjoyed it more each time. They couldn't share everything right now, but it wasn't long before they felt reasonably caught up with one another.

"So, Daniel, how many times did you die while we were away?" Jack teased.

"I'll have you know that I managed to stay alive the whole time."

"That is untrue, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c retorted. "I believe that one time yo..."

"That doesn't count." Daniel interrupted. "My heart just stopped for like thirty seconds, it's not the same as dying."

"Sounds like the definition of death in my book." Jack chuckled. "At least some things around here haven't changed."

Everyone fell into comfortable silence. Jack moved so that he could wrap his arms around Sam and held her tightly. He sighed contently and kissed her neck. Daniel stared at them with a bright smile on his face and his right eye brightened with unshed tears. He looked about to just pass out from everything that had happened today.

"I see that you have chosen Ric'na rings." Teal'c noted suddenly.

"Ric'na rings?" Sam asked.

"Goa'uld trust rings." Teal'c clarified. "Do you understand their nature?"

"Uh...no." Jack admitted. "I just thought they were shiny."

"Indeed. However they have certain properties. They can only be removed by the person who placed them in position and if you spoke of a contract over them the penalty for breaking that deal is death. which the rings will enact."

"So they are harmless." Jack smiled.

"Harmless? Perhaps you did not understand me O'Neill."

"I heard you. I'd rather die than break my promise, so the rings pose no threat."

Teal'c gave the pair a shallow bow and a smile.

"I was wondering if those rings were what I thought they were." Daniel smiled brightly. "Congratulations to you both. Sometimes I wondered exactly what it would take."

Jack tightened his hold on Sam. She smiled as he nuzzled her with unabashed affection. Daniel shook his head sadly as he heard Vala make a noise of delight from her hiding place.

"I'm still not sure exactly how it happened." Jack said softly. "However I do know it took far more than it should have..."

"All that matters now is that you two are home." Daniel said seriously.

"Yes we are," Jack said as thought he hardly believed it "and it is true what they say."

"And what do they say?"

"There is no place like it."


	32. Chapter 32

NOTE from the Phoenix: Thanks to everyone who had followed me on this story! HUGSSS!!!! I certainly hope you have enjoyed it half as much as I have and know that I have loved hearing from you all. Readers are what make us writers special! Hugs to you all! Bee in particular since this story was written for her and she has encouraged me the whole way.

Epilogue

One year, three months, and some odd number of days later...

Feeling as though every step took effort Sam made her way into the commons for a cup of tea since Janet had taken coffee off her menu. Vala was already there and she jumped up to meet her friend. Vala insisted that Sam sit down and that she would fetch the tea. Sam gratefully accepted the offer.

After sitting down Sam rubbed at her heavily distended belly. As she did so the small life inside protested with a violent kick. Sam smiled at the vigorous sign of life. When Vala came back over with tea for them both she put the mugs down and instantly put her hands on Sam's rounded stomach. The baby kicked again causing Vala to make a high pitched noise of delight.

"Oh I just love that!" Vala chirped. "How long until we get to met the little one?"

"I'm due in just over a week."

"I wish I was a mother." Vala said dreamily. "Although the only way that is going to happen is if I slip Daniel some sort of drug."

"Vala, you don't have to drug Daniel."

"You're right, I can just sneak up on his left side, he'll never see me coming. Then I can ju..."

"That's not quite what I meant." Sam chuckled. "The fastest way to Daniel's heart is to just be the caring person I know that you are."

"The fastest way to Daniel's heart is through his rib cage." Vala huffed and made a stabbing motion to emphasis her point.

"Have you ever really told him how you feel?"

"Load of times!"

"I mean in a serious, non flirtatious manner?" Sam clarified.

"Oh...well in that case maybe not."

"Try it."

"Okay."

At that moment Daniel wandered into the commons looking like he needed a cup of coffee. He hunted down and cup before looking around. Catching sight of Sam he smiled and came over to join the girls. Vala pounced on him before he could even sit down.

"Daniel," Vala greeted enthusiastically "I want babies!"

"Of course you do." Daniel sighed.

"See, Sam?" Vala pouted. "He's impossible."

Sam chuckled as Daniel shook his head sadly. The baby kicked again, but this time Sam yelped. The commons suddenly went silent and all eyes turned on Sam as if she was going to have the baby right then and there. Daniel was instantly on high alert.

"Sam? Are you okay?"

"I'm...oof...I'm fine, Daniel."

"Maybe we should go see Janet."

"It's nothing, ju..." Sam stopped suddenly.

"Sam?" Vala and Daniel asked in unison.

"I think that was more than just a kick." Sam announced a little shocked herself.

"I'll get Janet." Daniel jumped up.

"I can still walk, Daniel." Sam smiled. "Even if this is it I've still got a few hours before anything really starts happening."

"Oh this is so exciting!" Vala beamed.

Despite the fact that Sam was more than capable of getting to her feet herself Daniel insisted on helping her up. By the time they made it down to the infirmary Sam was starting to truly believe that she was going into an early labor. Janet noticed the trio come in, treating Sam like she was going to fall to the floor at any minute and rushed over to her.

"Sam?"

"Hey, Janet, I know I'm here a little early, but something's going on."

"Due dates are just estimates and I wouldn't be surprised if this baby was restless about getting into the world." Janet smiled. "Come on into one of the isolation rooms and we'll see what's going on."

Sam had insisted that she'd rather have her baby here at the base than at one of the local hospital and Janet assure her that as long as everything proceeded normally that there shouldn't be a problem with that. They all followed Janet into the nearest isolation room where she got out the ultrasound. Janet didn't look at the screen for more than a minute before she looked up at Daniel.

"Daniel, call Jack...it looks like we're having a baby today."

"Oh this is so exciting!" Vala repeated.

"Everything looks okay?" Sam asked.

"Everything is perfect, the baby is in a perfect head down position. I'm surprised your water hasn't ..."

"Ack!" Sam yipped as her water broke.

"Broken." Janet finished with a smile.

"Jack's on his way, Sam." Daniel announced. "He said he'll be here in twenty minutes."

"Call him back and tell him to take the full forty minutes it takes to drive here at a reasonable speed." Sam said seriously.

"Sam's right, Daniel, no matter what you see in the movies this is going to take hours."

Janet was correct and eight hours later Sam was still deep into labor. Jack had arrived safely and was sitting at her bedside with his hand in hers just as he had promised. Vala had talked Daniel into letting her sit on his lap rather than go get another chair. Teal'c was leaning against the wall, just staying out of the way. Sam took another deep breath and let it out slowly as a strong contraction assaulted her. She squeezed Jack's hand a little harder before relaxing again.

"You know you can scream if you need to." Jack assured her. "We don't mind."

"I don't need to." Sam smiled. "I know a lot of women rank this as the worst pain ever, but I'm going to have rate it somewhere around sixth."

"That's my girl." Jack chuckled.

Two hours later Sam cried out for the first time. Janet was there in seconds. She glanced at the monitors they had set up, did a quick check and then hustled everyone except Jack and two nurses out of the room. Jack had a cold cloth and he rubbed it across Sam's forehead that had beaded with sweat.

"Okay, Sam," Janet said softly "whenever you feel like pushing..."

Sam nodded and dug her nails into Jack's hand as a sustained contraction and instinct told her that it was time to bring their child into the world. She was sure that Jack was saying some sort of words of comfort however the only sound she was listening for was the newborn's cry. After twenty minutes of exhausting work she was rewarded with a shrill squall.

"Samantha, Jack... it's a girl."

Jack made a noise somewhere in between a sob of relief and a cry of joy. The announcement came as a surprise because they had both decided not to be told the sex of the child before hand. Sam laid back panting for breath, tears streaking from the corners of her eyes. She heard Janet ask Jack if he wanted to cut the cord and he agreed to. Jack was suddenly at her side again.

"That was almost too easy." Jack smiled and kissed Sam's brow.

"Yeah, right, next time you do it."

Jack chuckled and kissed her again. After a quick medical check and a warm blanket Janet came up and placed Sam's daughter in her arms. The little life looked more than a little confused about the recent events. Jack reached out and brushed her tiny chubby cheek with his index finger. The new parents stared at their child in wonder as she settled against her mother and fell asleep.

"She's beautiful." Jack whispered. "Just like her mother."

"She needs a name."

"I thought you had already decided."

"Are you okay with it?"

"Thrilled."

"Welcome to Earth...Serin."


End file.
